Priyanka Gandhi makes electoral debut, joins Parliament with Sonia & Rahu
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A significant chapter in Indian politics unfolded today as Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took oath as a member of Parliament, marking her electoral debut. This event also saw the oath-taking of party leader Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan, strengthening Congress’s presence in the Lok Sabha.
For the first time in decades, all three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family — Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka — are now officially members of Parliament. Priyanka Gandhi, accompanied by her mother Sonia Gandhi, was joined by her brother, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, and her husband, Robert Vadra, for the special occasion.
Priyanka Gandhi’s victory in the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, held alongside the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections in 2024, has propelled her into Parliament with a remarkable win. She secured the seat with an impressive margin of 410,931 votes. This bypoll was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi vacated the Wayanad seat in favour of retaining his family bastion in Rae Bareli, following his double victory in the April 2024 general elections.
A triangular contest in Wayanad
Wayanad, a Congress stronghold, saw a tight triangular contest between Priyanka Gandhi, BJP’s Navya Haridas, and CPI’s Sathyan Mokeri. Priyanka, contesting as the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, ran for the seat vacated by her brother Rahul after he chose to retain Rae Bareli seat. Despite a lower voter turnout compared to Rahul’s 647,445 votes in April, Priyanka’s victory margin surpassed his by 46,509 votes.
A family legacy in Parliament
With Priyanka’s induction into the Lok Sabha, the Gandhi family's representation in Parliament has reached a historic peak. Her mother, Sonia Gandhi, remains a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan, while her brother Rahul continues as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Priyanka’s election adds another powerful dimension to the family's deep-rooted political legacy.
In the same bypolls, Congress leader Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan triumphed in the Nanded Lok Sabha seat with 5,86,788 votes, following the passing of his father, Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan.
Other political families in Parliament
The trend of political families being well-represented in Parliament and state Assemblies is not unique to the Gandhis. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, along with his wife Dimple Yadav, both sit in the Lok Sabha. Akhilesh won from Kannauj, while Dimple secured the Mainpuri seat in Uttar Pradesh. Their extended family is also well-represented in the House, with Akhilesh’s cousins, Akshay Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, winning from Ferozabad and Badaun, respectively.
Similarly, Pappu Yadav, an independent MP from Purnia, and his wife Ranjeet Ranjan, who serves in the Rajya Sabha, further exemplify the strong presence of political families in the current Parliament.
Sharad Pawar, a key figure in Maharashtra politics, continues his role in the Rajya Sabha, while his daughter, Supriya Sule, represents the Baramati constituency in the Lok Sabha.
Political dynasties in state Assemblies
The trend of political families extends beyond Parliament to state legislatures. In Bihar, former Chief Minister Rabri Devi and her sons Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav are key figures in the state Assembly, with Tejashwi Yadav recently serving as the Deputy Chief Minister.
In Himachal Pradesh, both Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and his wife Kamlesh Thakur are members of the Legislative Assembly.
In Jharkhand, Chief Minister-elect Hemant Soren, whose Jharkhand Mukti Morcha secured a majority in the recent state elections, will be joined by his wife, Kalpana Soren, in the state Assembly.
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