Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a roadshow in Wayanad today
Wayanad is set to have two MPs, one of them "unofficial", and both will work together to protect its interests, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said today. Mr Gandhi said this at a public meeting as his sister and party colleague Priyanka Gandhi Vadra filed her nomination to contest the upcoming bypoll in the Lok Sabha seat. In the Lok Sabha polls this year, Rahul Gandhi won both Wayanad and Rae Bareli seats and decided to retain the latter, paving the way for the bypoll. Mr Gandhi represented Wayanad in Lok Sabha from 2019-2024.
Seeking support for his sister, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said, "I think you understand very well the relationship I share with the people of Wayanad. What Wayanad has done for me cannot be expressed in words. When feelings are really deep, the only way to express them is through action," he said.
"I would like to remind you Wayanad is the only constituency in the country that has two MPs, one is official, the other unofficial, and they will work together to protect the interests of the people of Wayanad," Mr Gandhi said.
In a speech replete with personal anecdotes, he said, "When we were small, I used to watch my sister with her friends, and I used to tell her, Priyanka, you cannot go so far to look after your friends. She was willing to do anything. And sometimes the friends would not appreciate it. I would tell her, why do you do this? And she would say because I want to, and that it doesn't matter if they don't appreciate. A person who is ready to do that for her friends, you can imagine what she is ready to do for family. When my father died, my sister looked after my mother. She was 17 years old."
"You must be wondering why I am telling you about her friends and family. The reason is Priyanka considers the people of Wayanad her family," he said.
Mr Gandhi said he needed a favour from the people of Wayanad. "I have this rakhi on my hand that she made, I don't take it off till it breaks. This is a symbol of a brother's protection for his sister. I request the people of Wayanad, look after my sister, protect my sister," he said.
"She will put her entire energy into looking after the people of Wayanad. And don't forget I am the unofficial MP, so I am allowed to come here and interfere," Mr Gandhi added.
Earlier, Ms Gandhi Vadra said she had been campaigning in elections for 35 years now but this was the first time she was seeking votes for herself.
"I was 17 when I campaigned for my father (former PM Rajiv Gandhi). Then I campaigned for my mother and brother and many of my colleagues. For 35 years I have been campaigning in different elections, but this is the first time I am campaigning in an election and seeking your support for myself. It is a very different feeling," she said and thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for the opportunity to contest the election. "It will be my honour to represent you if you give me a chance."