NEW DELHI: Leading the charge in support of his sister and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who filed her nomination from Wayanad on Wednesday, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that it was the only constituency that has two Members of Parliament.
“What Wayanad has done for me cannot be expressed in words; the only way to express it is through actions. Wayanad is the constituency in the country that has two MPs.One is the official and the other is the unofficial MP,” Rahul said after the siblings took out a road show. “Both will work to protect the interests of Wayand.”
Party workers and leaders thronged the streets of Kalpetta, rallying behind the All India Congress Committee General Secretary as she makes her electoral debut in the southern state.
Priyanka signed her nomination papers earlier in the day at a local resort, with top party leaders, including her mother and chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi as well as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge by her side.
Seat in Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency was left vacant by Rahul, who opted to retain Rae Bareli.
Priyanka will compete against Navya Haridas from BJP and Sathyan Mokeri from the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Navya Haridas is noted for serving two terms as a Kozhikode Corporation councillor. The by-election is set for November 13.
If elected, Priyanka Gandhi would become the third member of the Gandhi family to serve in Parliament. She previously oversaw party activities in Amethi and Rae Bareli and was formally active in politics since 2019. In 2019, she was appointed AICC General Secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh and later took charge of the entire state in 2020.