In her first comments after being chosen to contest from the Wayanad seat in Kerala, which her brother Rahul Gandhi opted to vacate in favor of retaining the Raebareli seat in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi expressed confidence that she will make sure his absence is not felt there.

"I am happy to contest from Wayanad. I will work to ensure his absence is not felt there. I will support my brother in both Raebareli and Wayanad. I am not nervous," Priyanka said on Monday.

"I will work hard and I will try my best to make everyone happy and be a good representative. I have a very old relationship with Raebareli and Amethi and it cannot be broken," she added.

The Congress' top leadership gathered at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in New Delhi to decide between Raebareli and Wayanad for Rahul Gandhi, who won both seats in the recently concluded 2024 Lok Sabha election with margins exceeding 3 lakh votes.

After the meeting, Rahul announced his decision to retain the family stronghold of Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, bringing an end to weeks of speculation.

The former Congress president, who had won both the Lok Sabha constituencies, must vacate one seat within 14 days of the June 4 Lok Sabha results.

Expressing gratitude to the people of Wayanad for their support, Rahul stated that Priyanka would contest the elections from the seat, with his periodic visits to the constituency.