Sonia Gandhi will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter Rajya Sabha after former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
The Telangana Congress had passed a resolution, demanding Sonia Gandhi to contest to the Lok Sabha from the state. In picture, from left, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Vikramarka Bhatti, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, and Chief Minister A Revath Reddy. (File pic/Supplied)
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, 14 February filed her nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from Rajasthan.
Her children Rahul Gandhi and Piyanka Gandhi, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra, leader of opposition Tikaram Jully were present at the time of the nomination filing in the assembly building.
Gandhi, who represented Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha, will not contest the next general election. She has been a five-term Lok Sabha MP and was first elected in 1999 after taking over as the Congress president.
A total of 56 members of Rajya Sabha from 15 states are retiring in April and the election to the seats will be held on February 27. The last date for filing nominations is February 15.
The Congress is comfortably placed to win one of the three Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan for which elections will be held. The seat will fall vacant after former prime minister Manmohan Singh completes his six-year tenure in April.
It will be Sonia Gandhi’s first term in the Upper House after serving five terms as a Lok Sabha MP.
The 77-year-old, who represented Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha, will not contest the next general elections. She was first elected as an MP in 1999 after taking over as the Congress president.
In a post on X earlier in the day, Gehlot said, “We heartily welcome the announcement of respected Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji as the Rajya Sabha candidate from the Congress Party, who renounced the post of Prime Minister.”
“Today her announcement as Rajya Sabha candidate from Rajasthan is a matter of happiness for the entire state and with this announcement all the old memories have been refreshed,” he added.
We heartily welcome the announcement of respected Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji as the Rajya Sabha candidate from the Congress Party, who renounced the post of Prime Minister.
Mrs. Sonia Gandhi heartily connected with Rajasthan. When Shri Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister, Sonia ji…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) February 14, 2024
A total of 56 members of the Rajya Sabha from 15 states are retiring in April and the election to the seats will be held on 27 February. The last date for filing nominations is 15 February.
Sonia Gandhi will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter the Rajya Sabha after former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was a member of the Upper House from August 1964 to February 1967.
The party has not formally declared any candidate for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections.
Gandhi had announced in 2019 that it would be her last Lok Sabha election.
Speculation is rife that her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could contest from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency after Sonia Gandhi opted out this time.
That Sonia Gandhi chose to contest from Rajasthan and not from a southern state like Telangana or Karnataka, where the party is also comfortably placed to win, is also a signal that the Congress’ first family is not abandoning the Hindi-heartland.
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