NEW DELHI: With the deadline for filing nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections approaching, speculation is rife on former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan entering the fray.
Congress sources hinted that Sonia may take the Upper House route to continue in Parliament if she doesn’t contest in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Her presence in Parliament is crucial for the beleaguered party, which is looking to increase its tally against the BJP-led NDA in 2024 elections. However, there is no clarity on whether she will contest from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, the constituency she currently represents.
The RS elections for 56 seats across 15 states will be held on February 27 and nominations have to be filed by February 15.
The Congress state units in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana have offered seats to Sonia. In Rajasthan, the party is eying one seat for the Upper House out of the three, which have fallen vacant.
Early this week, Himachal Pradesh Congress’ chief Pratibha Singh said that the seat should go to either Sonia or party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
In Maharashtra, Congress and Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) may field former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan as its candidate from the state. Early this week, Rajan met Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray at his residence, sparking speculation.