New Delhi: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.
The development comes barely a few days after the senior Congress leader penned an open letter to the people of Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh to thank them for their support to her.
In her message to the people of Rae Bareli in Hindi, she had said, “I am pleased to acknowledge that my current standing is owed to your support, and I have consistently endeavored to uphold your trust. However, due to health and age concerns, I have decided not to run in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.”
“With this resolution, I understand that I won’t have the chance to directly serve you further, yet my dedication and commitment will forever be with you. I trust in your continued support for me and my family in the times ahead, just as you have steadfastly stood by us in the past,” wrote Sonia Gandhi.
Meanwhile, there is a speculation that Gandhi scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the Rae Bareli seat. However, there has been no official word on this from the Congress yet.
Amethi and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh were once considered bastions for the Congress party. However, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, party leader Rahul Gandhi faced defeat in his own Lok Sabha constituency to the BJP’s Smriti Irani.
Who is Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi embarked on her political journey in India after marrying Rajiv Gandhi, scion of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty. Following her husband Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, she initially stayed away from politics. However, under pressure from Congress leaders, she assumed leadership of the party in 1998. Despite criticism over her foreign origins, she led the Congress to electoral victories in 2004 and 2009. Her tenure saw significant policy initiatives and coalition governance. Though she declined the Prime Ministership, her influence in Congress remains profound, making her a central figure in Indian politics for decades.
