Rahul is the sitting MP from Wayanad, having recorded a landslide win in the 2019 polls. He submitted his nomination papers on Wednesday (April 4) for another stint, with a stirring road show catching the eye. This time, the Congress leader is up against BJP's state president K Surendran and more importantly, CPI's Annie Raja, wife of the party's general secretary D Raja.

‍

Although the Congress is not giving any indication about Rahul contesting from another safer seat, Karnataka and Telangana have emerged as reliable options, with the BJP having tasted defeat in the recent assembly polls in these two states.

‍

The Congress has a history of fielding its leaders from these states in the past. The late prime minister Indira Gandhi won the Chikkamagaluru (Karnataka) Lok Sabha by-election in 1978 and then triumphed in Medak (now in Telangana) in 1980 while the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi tasted success from Karnataka's Ballari in 1999.

‍

Indira Gandhi had defeated Janata Party's Veerendra Patil in Chikkamagalur, reviving the Congress’ fortunes and playing a role in her return to power at the centre in 1980.

‍

Sonia defeated the BJP’s charismatic and seasoned leader Sushma Swaraj in Ballari. Her win proved lucky for the Karnataka Congress which came to power in the state in the assembly elections that followed.

‍

Indira, who also won from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli in 1980, chose to retain the Medak seat. Karnataka and united Andhra Pradesh had proved lucky for the Gandhi family even as they steadily lost ground in the Hindi belt.

‍

This time, the Gandhi family is not keen on fighting from Amethi and Rae Bareli -- once the stronghold of Indira and her sons Sanjay and Rajiv. Sonia too has won from these two seats but since 1999 the Congress’ support base in Uttar Pradesh has eroded drastically, with the party winning just one seat in the 2019 polls. Sonia, the lone victorious candidate then, is not contesting this time, and has secured a Rajya Sabha seat.

‍

The Congress, which is leading the opposition’s INDIA bloc, cannot afford a setback for Rahul in this election. Reports from Wayanad suggest a tough battle, with the ruling left front in the state targeting him despite being a part of the INDIA bloc. As for the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's frequent visits to Kerala have energised their ranks even though their support base is minimal in the constituency.

‍

The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is also eager to prevent a second stint for Rahul from Wayanad. The ruling LDF had objected to Rahul's candidature, with the chief minister openly attacking the Congress MP. Pinarayi fears Rahul's presence will unite the Congress leaders, spelling trouble for his party right through the state. Rahul was one of the factors in 2019 as the Congress-led United Democratic Front won 19 of the 20 seats in the state.

‍

With the opponents sharpening their arsenal, the Congress might like to play it safe when it comes to their main leader, and a backup seat for Rahul cannot be ruled out at the moment.

‍