Sonia Gandhi is relocating to the Rajya Sabha and is set to submit her nomination from Rajasthan today
Sonia Gandhi has arrived in Jaipur, where she is prepared to file her nomination for the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is poised to submit her nomination for the Rajya Sabha election from Rajasthan on Wednesday. Departing from her residence in Delhi early in the morning, Sonia Gandhi arrived in Jaipur by 10 am. Reports indicate that Sonia Gandhi has opted to transition to the Rajya Sabha due to health concerns, which make it challenging for her to maintain regular visits to her Lok Sabha constituency.
Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are expected to accompany her during the filing of her nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections. The deadline for submitting nominations is February 15, and the Rajya Sabha election is slated to take place on February 27.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot extended a warm welcome to Sonia Gandhi’s nomination for the Rajya Sabha, emphasizing her enduring connection with Rajasthan. Gehlot expressed, “We warmly embrace the decision of respected Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji to contest for the Rajya Sabha seat from the Congress Party, despite having relinquished the position of Prime Minister.” He recalled Sonia Gandhi’s numerous visits to the state, often alongside former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Following a high-level meeting of party leaders on Monday, attended by Mallikarjun Kharge, Mukul Wasnik, Ajay Maken, Salman Khurshid, and KC Venugopal, indications emerged suggesting that Sonia Gandhi might transition to the upper house, abstaining from electoral competition for the first time. While Himachal Pradesh was also considered as an option, reports suggested that Gandhi opted for Rajasthan.
Sonia Gandhi, who served as the Congress president for nearly 22 years from 1998 to 2022, has been elected as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha five times. She initially won seats in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi and Karnataka’s Bellary in 1999, later retaining the Amethi constituency. In 2004, Gandhi contested from Rae Bareli, subsequently passing on the Amethi constituency to Rahul Gandhi.
In April, a total of 56 Rajya Sabha members from 15 states, including Manmohan Singh, who was elected to represent Rajasthan, are set to retire.
Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi held a membership in the Rajya Sabha from August 1964 to February 1967. If Sonia Gandhi secures a seat in the Rajya Sabha, she will become the second member of the Gandhi family to do so.
Speculations over Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s poll debut
Amid Sonia Gandhi’s decision to step aside from Rae Bareli, there is widespread speculation regarding the potential candidacy of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the seat. However, no decision has been made by the leadership regarding Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into electoral politics.
ALWAR: Despite the Supreme Court's direct intervention to stop illegal mining in Rajasthan's Aravalli range, it continues unabated, a fact Read more
Congress on Thursday played down Income-Tax department’s decision to scrutinise the controversial land deals and financial transactions by Robert Vadra, Read more
MUZAFFARPUR (BIHAR)/NEW DELHI: A Bihar court today ordered police to file an FIR against Union Minister Giriraj Singh for his Read more
Expressing their solidarity with activist Teesta Setalvad, several opposition MPs including Ghulam Nabi Azad of Congress and Sharad Yadav of Read more
