LUCKNOW: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has got a thumping mandate in both Wayanad and Rae Bareli, but which seat will he retain? Rahul won the Rae Bareli seat with a margin of over 3.9 lakh votes and Wayanad by over 3.6 lakh votes.
The sentiment in the Gandhi bastion is that he should retain Rae Bareli given his family’s 100-year-old ties with the constituency.
“He should represent Rae Bareli,” said Ashu Sahu, a local businessman, while homemaker Krishna Srivastava said, “He has represented Wayanad once. Now he must represent this constituency.” Another local resident, Preeti Shukla, said: “Rahul and Rae Bareli became synonymous in this election. This new equation which has emerged as a force to reckon with must be maintained.”
Congress cadre in Rae Bareli echo the same sentiment. “2024 Lok Sabha election results have given a clear edge to the Congress in the country and helped the party consolidate its base in UP. It’s time to strengthen it further,” said an organisational member. A Congress spokesperson said Rae Bareli was both important and an easier choice. “I’m sure Rahul bhaiya will leave the seat down south and not break his bond with the place (Rae Bareli) that matters more,” he said.
Political analysts see the possibility of Rahul retaining Rae Bareli. “The political significance of UP and the favourable mandate of 2024 outweighs the possible political gains that come from Kerala or Wayanad. And then there is family legacy. So, Rae Bareli is a natural choice,” said political commentator Prof Sushil Pandey, a faculty at Babasabeb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow.
Rae Bareli-based political commentator Vijay Vidrohi also said Rahul must honour the bond for which people voted for him. Meanwhile, Congress MP from Kasargod Rajmohan Unnithan suggested Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the replacement for Rahul in Wayanad in case he chooses to retain Rae Bareli. Speaking to a news channel, Unnithan, however, said it was his personal opinion
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Will Rahul pick Rae Bareli over Wayanad?
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is deciding which constituency to retain between Rae Bareli and Wayanad, where he won with significant margins. Local sentiment favors him retaining Rae Bareli due to his family’s long-standing ties with the constituency.