Congress leader Sonia Gandhi becomes the second Gandhi family member to secure a seat in the Rajya Sabha, as the former Congress president was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on Tuesday.
Sonia Gandhi had stated during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls that it was the last time she was contesting in the general elections. This is the first stint in the Upper House for the 77-year-old leader, who is a five-term lawmaker of the Lok Sabha.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who had represented the seat since 2004, on Thursday informed voters of Rae Bareli that she will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls due to health and age issues.
In the letter addressed to the public of Raebareli, the 77-year-old also threw subtle hints of a possible entry of a member of her family from the constituency.
“After this decision, I will not have the opportunity to serve you directly but my heart and soul will always remain with you. I know that you will stand by me and my family in the future, just as you had in the past,” Sonia Gandhi said in the message written in Hindi.
It is being speculated in media reports that with Sonia Gandhi stepping away, her daughter Priyanka Gandhi may contest from Raebareli.
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Chunnilal Garasiya and Madan Rathore were also elected unopposed to the Upper House from the state. As no other candidates were contesting, the three leaders were elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed.
There are 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan. After the results, Congress has six members and the BJP four.
According to several media reports, Sonia Gandhi is likely to hand over contest the Lok Sabha polls from the family turf of Raebareli. This would also mark the first for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Lok Sabha Elections.
The tenure of Rajya Sabha members Manmohan Singh (Congress) and Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) is ending on April 3. The third seat fell vacant after the BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena resigned from the House in December after being elected MLA.
The BJP has 115 members and the Congress 70 in the 200-member assembly.
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Published: 20 Feb 2024, 04:33 PM IST