Nov 28, 2024 12:07 PM IST
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, won the Wayanad by-poll by a big margin of 410,000 votes last week, wore an off-white Kerala kasavu saree, held a copy of the Constitution, and took oath in Hindi
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took oath as the Lok Sabha member from Kerala’s Wayanad on Thursday amid a rapturous welcome from the Congress lawmakers, starting her legislative career that will be closely followed by the Opposition and the Treasury benches alike for the possible impact.
She wore an off-white Kerala kasavu saree, held a copy of the Constitution, and took oath in Hindi. Her brother and leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was in the House. The siblings exchanged greetings as she came down from the podium. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra then greeted Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not present in the House.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sat on an aisle seat in the fourth row, indicating that she might not be occupying a coveted front-row seat. HT reported Congress has sought front-row seats for lawmakers KC Venugopal, K Suresh, and Gaurav Gogoi. A Congress leader said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra might get a second-row seat for better coordination with Rahul Gandhi and other Congress lawmakers. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra won the Wayanad by-poll by a big margin of 410,000 votes last week.
On July 17, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced Rahul Gandhi would retain Raebareli, the constituency long associated with the Gandhi family, and vacate his Wayanad seat for his sister.
With Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s election, three members of the her family are now members of Parliament (MPs). Her mother, Sonia Gandhi, shifted to Rajya Sabha earlier this year and said she would not contest the Lok Sabha election.
When her candidature was announced, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said she was not nervous. “I am very happy. I would not let them [Wayanad] feel his [Rahul Gandhi]’s absence. I will work as hard to make everyone happy. I will also help him in Raebareli. I have an old relationship with Raebareli and I have worked in both Amethi and Raebareli. I will help bhaiya [brother] in Raebareli,” she said.
In July, Rahul Gandhi said it was “not an easy” decision to leave Raebareli as he is attached to both places. “I have an old relationship with Raebareli. I am happy that I will represent it again,” he said. “I was Wayanad MP for the past five years. It was a fantastic experience. People of Wayanad, cutting across party lines, gave me love and affection. I want to thank them and will remember them forever.”
Rahul Gandhi made his electoral debut in 2004 from Amethi. He chose Wayanad as a second seat to boost the party’s prospects in Kerala in 2019. That year, he lost to Union minister Smriti Irani in Amethi but won from Wayanad.
A Congress strategist said Rahul Gandhi could not leave Raebareli for political reasons. “He is the face of the party and must represent the most politically important state Uttar Pradesh. His presence will further cement the Congress’s ties with Samajwadi Party.”
Rahul Gandhi’s grandmother, late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, represented Raebareli between 1967 and 1977. Her husband Feroze Gandhi was a two-term MP. After Rahul Gandhi chose Amethi, Sonia Gandhi shifted to the adjoining Raebareli and represented it from 2004 to 2024.
In 1980, when Indira Gandhi won Raebareli and Medak seats, she left her Uttar Pradesh seat and opted for the one in Andhra Pradesh.
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