WAYANAD: After the Congress party announced Priyanka Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad for Lok Sabha by-poll, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja, who contested the seat earlier against Rahul Gandhi, said that the decision on her candidature will be with the party.
She also batted for more women representation in Parliament and expressed happiness that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has named a female candidate for the seat.
"Rahul Gandhi and Congress have decided and announced that they will retain Raebareli and leave Wayanad. Whether I will contest or not from Wayanad again will be the decision of my party. Elections have not been announced so far, so we have plenty of time to discuss the candidate in the party and among the LDF," Annie Raja told ANI.
"We need more and more women in Parliament. I am happy that the UDF has announced a female candidate for the constituency," she added.
The bye-election in the seat was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi decided to retain Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli seat, which he won along with Wayanad in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced Priyanka Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad at a special press conference on Monday. If Priyanka Gandhi wins from Wayanad, three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family will be in Parliament - Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.
Priyanka Gandhi said on Monday that she will contest the bypoll from Wayanad but her decades-old association with Amethi and Raebareli will continue.
Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly, VD Satheesan expressed confidence in Priyanka Gandhi's victory with a historic majority.
"Rahul and the party has assigned dearest Priyanka for Wayanad. Welcome to Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi. With a historic majority, Priyanka will become Kerala's dearest," Satheesan said in a post on Facebook.
Satheesan also quoted Rahul Gandhi where he spoke about Wayanad and shared a picture of both Rahul and Priyanka along with his post.