Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 17 (PTI) The Congress party's Kerala unit on Monday welcomed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Wayanad and expressed confidence that she would secure a record winning margin in the high-range constituency in the upcoming bypoll.
"Rahul and the party are designating Priyanka, who is even more popular in dearest Wayanad," V D Satheesan, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly said in a Facebook post.
She would become a darling of the entire state by securing a historic victory margin in the upcoming bypoll for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, the Congress leader added.
Sharing similar views, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran also welcomed Priyanka to the southern state and expressed heartfelt thanks to Rahul Gandhi for his services to Wayanad constituency.
He recalled that it was only because of the presence of Rahul that the Congress-led UDF had claimed victory in Kerala in the previous two LS polls.
Sudhakaran also said people in Kerala loved and respected him beyond party politics.
"The decision of the AICC to designate Priyanka Gandhi to represent Wayanad in the Lok Sabha as a successor to Rahul brings great joy and pride to all Congress workers in the state, including me," he said in a statement.
Sudhakaran expressed confidence that the people of Kerala, particularly those in Wayanad, would warmly welcome Priyanka, just as they had embraced Rahul Gandhi.
He hoped that the woman leader would win the Wayanad seat with a remarkable margin.
Senior party leader and former MP K Muraleedharan said Priyanka's arrival is a happy moment for the people of Wayanad.
"This is a happy moment for the people of Wayanad. In today's scenario, Rahul Gandhi cannot leave Rae Bareli. His strong work helped the party make inroads in UP again. At the same time, Priyanka Gandhi coming to Wayanad is a joyous moment for the people of Wayanad and Kerala," he said.
The Congress state unit's reaction came soon after party chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced in New Delhi that Rahul will keep the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and vacate the Wayanad seat from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest.
Rahul had won from Wayanad and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies and he has to vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, which came out on June 4.