Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday announced that former party chief Rahul Gandhi will keep the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and vacate the Wayanad constituency.

He also announced that Congress general secretary and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, which will be necessitated following his resignation.

Rahul won from both the parliamentary seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress president made the announcement after holding a meeting with Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party’s general secretary in-charge of Organisation K C Venugopal at his residence here in this regard.

Addressing the media, Kharge said, “Rahul Gandhi was elected from two seats. As per the law, he has to vacate one seat and on one seat, he can continue as an MP. We have decided that Rahul Gandhi should keep the Rae Bareli seat because Rae Bareli has a very strong connection with the Gandhi family. We have decided that Priyanka Gandhi should contest from Wayanad. I want to thank both of them as they have agreed.”

Rahul said, “I have an emotional relationship with both Rae Bareli and the people of Wayanad. In the last five years as the MP of Wayanad has been a very enjoyable experience. The people of Wayanad stood with me. The people of Wayanad gave me love and affection, every single person regardless of party, they gave me energy to fight in a very difficult time. So, I will never forget that.”

“I want everyone in Wayanad to know that Priyanka is going to fight the election in Wayanad. But, I am going to be a frequent visitor to Wayanad. I am going to be available to the people of Wayanad and the commitments that I have made, we will stand by them and try to deliver all those commitments. My doors are open for you all throughout the rest of my life,” he said.

Rahul also exuded confidence that Priyanka will win the election and she will be a very good representative for the people of Wayanad.

“I am very happy to contest from Wayanad. I won’t let them feel his absence. I will work hard and try my best to make everybody happy and to be a good representative,” Priyanka said.

In response to a question about her entry into electoral politics, she said, “I am not nervous at all.”