'Karmabhoomi' or 'second home'? Rahul Gandhi's quandary after double victory

Rahul Gandhi won Lok Sabha elections from both Wayanad and Rae Bareli

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got a double boost in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after he decisively won from both his constituencies, Wayanad in Kerala and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

In Wayanad, Rahul defeated his CPI challenger Annie Raja by over 3.6 lakh votes and in Rae Bareli, he prevailed over BJP rival Dinesh Pratap Singh by a huge margin of 3.9 lakh votes.

But now, the Congress leader faces a tricky task of dropping one constituency.

The Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, permits a candidate to contest the Lok Sabha election from up to two constituencies. However, if the candidate wins both seats, he or she must vacate one.

So far, Rahul said he has not decided which seat he will represent in the Lok Sabha. "I can't stay in two seats but I haven't decided which one I will give up," he said.

"I will ask around and decide," he added.

Interestingly, PM Modi faced a similar choice after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when he won the elections from both Vadodara (Gujarat) and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). He eventually decided to drop Vadodara and represented Varanasi in Parliament.

The Congress leader's decision on which constituency to represent will be closely watched since he has strong ties to both Wayanad and Rae Bareli.

In 2019, Rahul Gandhi lost his long-standing family bastion of Amethi to BJP's Smriti Irani. Since he also contested from Wayanad, Rahul was able to ensure his stay in the lower house. In a way, Wayanad emerged as a face-saver for Rahul.

Over the years, Rahul even that proclaimed Wayanad has become his "second home".

But Rae Bareli is equally important for Rahul since it was represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi before she decided to opt of our electoral politics and contested the Rajya Sabha elections earlier this year.

After the announcement of his candidature at the last minute, Rahul said that his mother has entrusted him with the family's "karmabhoomi".

Moreover, having a Gandhi face in Uttar Pradesh is crucial for Congress as it helps maintain the party's legacy in the politically crucial state and galvanises support among loyal voters.