On February 14, Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party and former party president, filed her nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Rajasthan. The polls, scheduled for February 27, will decide three seats from the state.
The Congress, in the opposition, is expected to secure one seat comfortably, while the ruling BJP is poised to win the other two based on its strength in the Assembly. Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by prominent leaders such as Ashok Gehlot, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, Govind Singh Dotasra, and Tika Ram Jully, arrived at Sanganer airport before filing her nomination at the Assembly.
Four sets of nomination papers, proposed and seconded by Congress MLAs, were submitted to the Election Officer and Assembly Secretary Mahavir Prasad Sharma. Sonia Gandhi met with party MLAs in the Opposition lobby before filing the papers.
Rajasthan has a total of 10 Rajya Sabha seats, with six held by the Congress and four by the BJP. Two seats are becoming vacant due to the retirement of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav on April 3, while the third was vacated after the resignation of the BJP’s Kirodi Lal Meena following his victory in the 2023 Assembly election.
This will mark Sonia Gandhi’s first term in the Rajya Sabha after serving five terms as a Lok Sabha Member. At 77, she was initially elected as an MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi in 1999, later representing Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed happiness over Sonia Gandhi’s candidature from Rajasthan, emphasizing her strong connection with the state. He credited her for playing a crucial role in bringing major projects like a refinery and a metro train to Rajasthan during the UPA government. Gehlot also highlighted her efforts during times of drought, where she visited various districts to oversee relief works.
