Seen as one of the Congress party's well-planned strategic moves, the decision for Rahul Gandhi to retain Raebareli and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Wayanad in Kerala, the seat he is vacating, aims to establish a firm foothold in both the north and south, laying important groundwork for future elections.

Raebareli, alongside Amethi, has been a stronghold of the Gandhi family in Uttar Pradesh. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi's mother, has long represented Raebareli. Recently, Amethi was reclaimed from the BJP by KL Sharma, a staunch loyalist of the Gandhi family. This victory restores a strong foundation for the Congress party, reminiscent of its past dominance in Uttar Pradesh.

The state is preparing for elections in early 2027, with the Congress aiming to build upon the specific voter base it established during the recent Lok Sabha election.

In 2019, Congress held only one seat in Raebareli, but they have now secured six seats. Their ally in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, won 37 seats. Together, they hold 43 seats, significantly reducing BJP's stronghold in the state, bringing their tally down to 33 seats.

After successfully gaining an advantage, insiders suggest the next step is to mount a vigorous assault on the Yogi Adityanath administration in 2027.