Congress announced their first list of candidates for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Polls. Congress has announced candidates for 16 seats in Kerala as part of its UDF alliance. Rahul Gandhi is set to contest from Wayanad again, amid speculations that the former Congress president could also take a shot to reclaim the Amethi seat.
Kerala's ruling party, CPI, had earlier announced senior leader Annie Raja as its candidate from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.
Communist Party of India (CPI) is a Congress ally in the Opposition INDIA bloc at the national level, however, the parties are rivals of the Congress in Kerala.
However, with speculations that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to make her poll debut with the Raebareli seat, which was vacated by her mother Sonia Gandhi after she moved to the Rajya Sabha, questions around Rahul Gandhi's candidacy has resurfaced.
Congress has also fielded sitting MPs KC Venugopal, Shashi Tharoor, and Anto Antony from Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram, and Pathanamthitta constituency respectively.
Why Wayanad assumes significance for Rahul Gandhi?
In 2019, Rahul Gandhi could save his Lok Sabha seat after he lost the Congress bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh to Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Smriti Irani, was because he had won from Wayanad.
Rahul Gandhi had managed to bag a whopping 64.8% of the total vote share.
Wayanad and Congress
Kerala's Wayanad constituency has historically remained a Congress bastion like Raebareli and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Congress has won Wayanad in the last three Lok Sabha elections by large margins.
During the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, Congress dominated seven segments that make up the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. This win was cemented despite the LDF's historic victory in the Assembly. Kerala which has earned a reputation of being anti-incumbent, voted the CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan's party to the Kerala government for the second straight term.
According to available data, Congress bagged a combined vote share of 34.5%, defeating CPI(M) in Wayanad which got 25.6% of the total votes.
Further, late Congress leader M I Shanavas had won the Wayanad Assembly seat in 2014 and 2009. The 2021 Assembly polls Congress won three of the seven segments.
Milestone Alert!
Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world e？？？ Click here to know more.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed a€“ it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sayantani Biswas
Sayantani is an editor with Livemint. She covers stories of International and Indian politics, conflict
Read more from this author
Related Premium Stories
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/electoral-bonds-how-giant-donors-timed-their-political-funding-11711114166155.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
Electoral bonds: How giant donors timed their political funding
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/news/electoral-bonds-the-curious-case-of-madanlal-ltd-s-donations-11710684590889.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
Electoral bonds: The curious case of Madanlal Ltda€？s donations
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/news/history-of-lok-sabha-polls-in-numbers-more-women-in-the-fray-fewer-independent-mps-11710661343865.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
History of Lok Sabha polls in numbers: More women in fray, fewer independent MPs
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/mint-explainer-what-s-behind-maldives-new-defence-pact-with-china-11709797618732.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
Mint Explainer: Whata€？s behind Maldivesa€？ new defence pact with China
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/mint-explainer-what-s-at-stake-during-america-s-super-tuesday-primary-polls-11709635214900.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
Mint Explainer: Whata€？s at stake during Americaa€？s Super Tuesday primary polls
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/mint-explainer-how-indian-volunteers-ended-up-fighting-for-russia-11708941837529.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
Mint Explainer: How Indian volunteers ended up fighting for Russia
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/news/indian-politics-is-becoming-increasingly-partisan-we-have-the-data-to-prove-it-11708932961821.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
Indian politics is becoming increasingly partisan. We have the data to prove it.
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/policy/the-onion-peel-that-promises-a-sugar-high-11708423143692.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
The onion peel that promises a sugar high
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/a-decade-of-flip-flops-on-farmers-issues-despite-full-majority-government-11708422098035.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
A decade of flip-flops on farmersa€？ issues despite full-majority government
{ga("send","event","Mint Premium Story Widget","Click","Politics"); ga4CommonTracking({event:"article_clicked", story_subbrand: "", is_premium_article:"true", acticle_type: "", widget_name:"", target_url: "/politics/revdi-or-genuine-welfare-india-gives-its-verdict-11708324226342.html"}); cdpTrackingForPremiumWidget("cdpPremiumArticles")},0);">
a€？Revdia€？ or genuine welfare? India gives its verdict
Explore Premium
Catch all the Politics News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More Less
Published: 08 Mar 2024, 06:53 PM IST
Topics You May Be Interested In rahul gandhi rahul gandhi news rahul gandhi update rahul gandhi news latest congress lok sabha polls priyanka gandhi lok sabha 2024 a raja cpi shashi tharoor Wayanad Lok Sabha seat rahul gandhi lok sabha CPI(M) mallikarjun kharge sonia gandhi M I Shanavas