BJP labels Congress as 'family business' after Priyanka Gandhi's Wayanad move

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said that Rahul Gandhi's decision to keep Rae Bareli's seat and Priyanka Gandhi's decision to enter electoral politics from Wayanad shows that the Congress party is a family business.

“Congress is not a party but a family business, and this has been proved today. The mother has entered the Rajya Sabha, the son has entered the Lok Sabha from one seat, and Priyanka Gandhi has been made a member from another Lok Sabha seat,” BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said.

“All three members of the family will be in the Parliament... Even though Rahul Gandhi has emerged victorious in UP with the efforts of the Samajwadi Party, he knows getting by-elections done will not guarantee their victory in Raebareli for the second time...”

Poonawalla further said that Rahul, by picking Rae Bareli over Wayanad, betrayed the people of the constituency in Kerala.

"It is a betrayal to the people of Wayanad. Annie Raja kept saying that Rahul Gandhi would move out of the state after the elections, which he did. Another thing has become very clear that the political legacy of the family will be with the son and not the daughter..." Poonawala added.

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BJP leader Nalin Kohli claimed that with the decision, it is clear that the Gandhi's wish to take their “family politics” from Wayanad to Raebareli.

“Rahul Gandhi has decided to be an MP from Raebareli and he has decided to leave Wayanad. Two things become clear. First, they wish to take family politics from Wayanad to Raebareli,” he told PTI. "Additionally, what about the people of Wayanad? Against all odds, they elected Rahul Gandhi for the second time. But he never disclosed to them that he would be contesting from another seat and he would leave Wayanad."

Former Union Minister and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrashekhar alleged that Congress is imposing “one member after another of their dynasty on voters of Wayanad”.

"There is shamelessness and there is Congress type of shamelessness - imposing one member after another of their dynasty on voters of Wayanad - after shamelessly hiding the fact that Rahul was contesting from another constituency," he wrote on X.

Rahul opts for Rae Bareli, Priyanka Gandhi to enter electoral politics

Congress president Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge Monday evening announced that party leader Rahul Gandhi will retain the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh and vacate his Wayanad seat in Kerala from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut.

Also Read | 'Wayanad to have 2 MPs…': Rahul Gandhi's first reaction to Congress's Priyanka Gandhi move

If elected, this will be the first time Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will enter Parliament as an MP. This will also be the first time that all three Gandhi family members - Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka - will be in Parliament together.

Rahul Gandhi had contested and won from both Rae Bareli and Wayanad Lok Sabha seats and has to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the election result.