Ever since the news of Priyanka Gandhi, who has made her presence felt in Indian politics without contesting elections, being a candidate from Wayanad has come to light, there has been a lot of discussion about it in political circles. Everyone has their own opinion about what will change with Priyanka’s arrival.
After Rahul Gandhi left the Wayanad seat and chose Rae Bareli, another member of the Gandhi family will now contest from Wayanad. In such a situation, it is important to know what will be the political consequences of this decision of Priyanka.
The Congress’ decision to nominate All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi for the by-election from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, after Rahul Gandhi quit the seat, seems to be primarily aimed at boosting the prospects of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala for the 2026 assembly elections. Many believe that Priyanka’s charismatic presence will unite the rival factions of the Congress and check the exodus of Congress leaders to the BJP.
Congress has won a landslide victory in Kerala in the 2024 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In such a situation, Priyanka’s representation from the state can provide fuel to the Congress state unit to take on the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the 2026 assembly elections. Apart from this, Priyanka, who has made several tours with Rahul, is already a familiar face in the constituency and can prove to be a big attraction among the youth and women.
Priyanka’s entry into the fray should put Kerala Congress leaders in a better position to counter the LDF and BJP’s charge that Rahul has abandoned the people of Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi too has said he will continue to serve the people of the constituency and now with Priyanka, he will have “two MPs”. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran has spoken of Priyanka’s landslide victory. “The decision to field her is a symbol of the love and care the Gandhi family has for Wayanad,” Sudhakaran said.
Priyanka Gandhi can revive memories of her grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had an emotional bond with the people of Kerala. Congress Kerala has already tweeted, “It’s history! Not Priyanka Gandhi but the Iron Lady of India Indira Priyadarshini is coming to Wayanad.” According to Congress MLA from Kalpetta T. Siddiqui, Priyanka has a natural connection with the people. In a statement to India Today, he said, “Many people see similarities in her with Indira Gandhi, who had a huge fan following in Kerala.”
This marks Priyanka Gandhi’s formal entry into electoral politics. She formally joined politics in January 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and has since been heading the party organisation in Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka has also overseen the party’s election preparations in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
India Today journalist Jeemon Jacob has explained the significance of Priyanka contesting from Wayanad in his report. According to Jeemon, if Priyanka wins from Wayanad, it will be the first time that three members of the Gandhi family will be in Parliament together. Known for her eloquence and charisma, Priyanka is expected to strengthen the Congress agenda in the Lok Sabha as an MP and lead the fight against the Narendra Modi government.
Jeemon Jacob makes an important point in his report citing statistics. He writes, “Priyanka’s candidature from Wayanad also shows how much trust the Gandhi family has in other Congress leaders when it comes to valuable seats. When Rahul decided not to contest from Amethi again, this seat was offered not to any regular party leader but to a trusted loyalist of the family, Kishori Lal Sharma. Rahul Gandhi won from Wayanad by a margin of more than 3,64,000 votes. His vote share was 59.69 percent. Priyanka has been fielded from Wayanad so that this constituency can be made a safe seat for the family.”
Jimon gives another interesting information in his report. According to his report, this decision has also divided the roles between the Gandhi siblings. Rahul will represent the North, while Priyanka is going to play a similar role from the South – all this is in the direction of furthering the pan-India appeal of the Congress.
After reading the posts of Priyanka Gandhi’s fans on social media after the news of her contesting the elections, it is understood that her entry into electoral politics was being awaited for a long time. Now if Priyanka wins and reaches the Parliament, it will be interesting to see how she counters the BJP apart from putting forward the public’s views.