Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took her oath as a member of Parliament on Thursday, November 28, in what is seen as the beginning of her political journey. Her swearing-in comes after her victory in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat during the 2024 polls, which were held alongside the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections.
With this win, Priyanka Gandhi’s debut in electoral politics is now complete, and for the first time in decades, all three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, are present in Parliament.
Priyanka, who was accompanied by her mother Sonia Gandhi, was joined by her brother Rahul Gandhi, and her husband Robert Vadra at the Parliament.
Priyanka’s victory in Wayanad came with a margin of 4,10,931 votes. The seat had been vacated by her brother Rahul, who retained his Rae Bareli constituency after securing two seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In the Wayanad bypoll, Priyanka contested as a candidate of the United Democratic Front (UDF).
The contest was a triangular one, with Priyanka Gandhi facing off against BJP’s Navya Haridas and CPI’s Sathyan Mokeri. Even though the voter turnout was lower compared to Rahul’s victory earlier in April, Priyanka’s win was still a decisive one. She received 6,22,338 votes and even surpassed Rahul’s earlier margin in the same seat, which stood at 364,422 votes.
Alongside Priyanka Gandhi, Congress leader Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan also took his oath after winning the Nanded Lok Sabha seat, which had been vacated following the death of Vasantrao Balwantrao Chavan.
With her debut in Lok Sabha, Priyanka Gandhi joins her brother Rahul Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of Opposition, while their mother Sonia Gandhi continues to serve in the Rajya Sabha.
