The reason for vacating the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat by Rahul Gandhi has multiple reasons. It was obvious for Rahul to vacate one of the two seats either Rae Bareli or Wayanad. Priyanka Gandhi is being declared as candidate from Wayanad without any delay. This shows that there is only dynastic politics in the Congress party. Rahul Gandhi vacated Wayanad LS seat as he feared that from Rae Bareli the Congress party may lose in the by-election.
The Congress party is highly suspicious of the Samajwadi Party. In the by-poll, it is still uncertain whether there would be an alliance between the Congress party and the Samajwadi Party. Even in case of alliance the SP may play spoilsport to the Congress party in order to check the growing influence of the Congress party in the State. The winning of six seats by the Congress party has made the SP uncomfortable. The SP donot want any other player to become stronger either the Congress party or the Chandrashekhar Azad of Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram).
The Congress party has paid a huge price for the Wayanad seat for Rahul Gandhi. The Indian Union Muslim League(IUML), second biggest constituent of the United Democratic Front(UDF), has taken Ramnathpuram Lok Sabha seat in neighboring StateTamil Nadu from the Congress party alliance in the State. The IUML had no previous record of contesting from the seat and in 2019 after Rahul Gandhi put his candidature from the seat the IUML had taken the seat either in bonus or in consolation..
The Congress party has lost a lot in Kerala after the 2019 LS elections. In Kerala since the 1982 Assembly election the government has revolved between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front(UDF). In the 2021 Assembly poll the LDF had bounced back under leadership of P Vijayan denying a chance to the UDF. The Congress party won only 21 seats by contesting on 93 seats while the IUML, second biggest ally of the UDF, won 15 seats by contesting on 25 seats.
This is one of the biggest setbacks for the Congress party in Kerala and in India as a whole. The IUML was increasing its pressure on the Congress party due to the Gandhi family’s compulsion to contest from Wayanad LS seat. It is all likely that in the 2026 Assembly election in Kerala the IUML may demand the Chief Minister’s chair besides more seats as in the current Assembly. Both these parties have nearly the same seats in spite of the Congress party contesting on nearly four times more seats than the IUML .
It will be tough for Priyanka Gandhi to keep the IUML in good humour. One of the reasons for not continuing Wayanad seat by Rahul Gandhi is growing demands of the IUML. Now Priyanka will have to follow dictates and demands of the IUML.
The IUML is strong in two of the seven Assembly seats of Wayanad LS seat. Eranad and Nilambur are the seats on which the IUML held sway and the Gandhi family and the Congress party will have to follow IUML terms in coming days more vigorously.
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