Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will retain Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli seat and relinquish the Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Monday.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut by contesting the consequent bye-elections from Wayanad, the party announced. The Election Commission is yet to announce the bye-polls.

The bye-polls in Wayanad have been necessitated because the seat has become vacant.

Rahul Gandhi had won from both Rae Bareli and Wayanad in the recently concluded general elections, but could only retain one of the seats, according to the provisions of the Representation of People Act.

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Rahul Gandhi had defeated the Communist Party of India’s Annie Raja by a margin of 3.6 lakh votes in Wayanad. In Rae Bareli, he had won against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Dinesh Pratap Singh by 3.9 lakh votes.

The Rae Bareli seat was represented by former Congress President Sonia Gandhi since 2004. In February, she moved to the Rajya Sabha and announced that she would not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections because of her age and health concerns. Late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had also represented the constituency.

Rahul Gandhi served as the MP from Wayanad between 2019 and 2024.

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On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi said that he is facing a dilemma over whether he should represent Wayanad or Rae Bareli as an MP in the 18th Lok Sabha.

While addressing a public meeting at Kerala’s Malappuram district, he said that both the constituencies will be happy with whatever decision he takes. “I commit to you that you will be happy with my decision to further our collective resolve to democratic progress,” he said.

The Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, a seat represented by Rahul Gandhi between 2004 and 2019, was won by Congress’ Kishori Lal Sharma this time.