Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Likely To Retain Rae Bareli: Sources

The Rae Bareli seat is considered a Congress bastion, along with Amethi in UP. In 2019, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi won the seat by a margin of 1,67,178 votes against Dinesh Pratap Singh.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi won both from Rae Bareli and Wayanad.

Source : PTI Images

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has won both Wayanad and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies on Tuesday, is likely to retain Rae Bareli, sources said. 

The Congress leader won the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh by a margin of 3,90,030 votes, bettering his mother Sonia Gandhi's victory margin in 2019.

Rahul is likely to retain the Rae Bareli seat as the Congress leader defeated his opponent with a greater margin than mother Sonia, they said. 

According to the Election Commission website, Rahul Gandhi secured a total of 6,87,649 votes against the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Dinesh Pratap Singh who got 2,97,619 votes. Thakur Prasad Yadav of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) secured 21,624 votes.

The seat is also considered a Congress bastion, along with Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Five years ago, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi won the seat by a margin of 1,67,178 votes against Dinesh Pratap Singh.

Sonia Gandhi, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli continuously since 2004, vacated the seat earlier this year and got elected to the Rajya Sabha. Rae Bareli was the only Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh that the Congress won in 2019.

Rahul Gandhi also won the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat for the second time in a row. Wayanad seat, comprising of three assembly constituencies each in the tribal district of Wayanad and the Muslim-dominated Malappuram, as well as one in Kozhikode district where Christians hold a significant vote base.  

When Gandhi was asked about which seat he would represent in Lok Sabha, Gandhi said, "I have won from both the seats and I want to wholeheartedly thank the voters of Rae Bareli and Wayanad. Now I have to decide which seat I will stay on, will discuss and then decide. Can't hold on to both the seats, but I haven't decided yet."         

"I am being asked whether I would remain the MP of Wayanad or Rae Bareli, I want to remain MP for both. Congratulations to all of you," the former Congress president had said.