NEW DELHI: Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi has submitted her nomination for the Rajya Sabha seat from Rajasthan. Accompanied by senior Congress leaders, she arrived at the Rajasthan Assembly at around noon on Wednesday. Present during her nomination were also Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. The formal announcement of Sonia's candidacy was made by the party after her arrival in Jaipur this morning.
Sonia Gandhi is set to occupy the seat previously held by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha. Additionally, the party has unveiled the names of three other leaders contesting: Abhishek Manu Singhvi from Himachal Pradesh, Akhilesh Prasad Singh from Bihar, and Chandrakant Handore from Maharashtra.
Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi arrived in Jaipur around 9 am to complete the nomination process. Notably, Rajasthan is gearing up for the Rajya Sabha elections, with three seats up for grabs. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced candidates for two seats, the Congress has nominated Sonia Gandhi for one. The voting for the Rajya Sabha elections is scheduled for 27th February.
Ahead of Sonia Gandhi's nomination, a legislature party meeting took place where Congress MLAs warmly welcomed Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, and Priyanka. During the meeting, State President Govind Singh Dotasara expressed confidence that Sonia Gandhi's entry into the Rajya Sabha would uplift the spirits of party workers. This development has been hailed as a moment of pride for Rajasthan. Following Dotasara's remarks, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Julie and former CM Ashok Gehlot also spoke, highlighting the positive impact on party morale.
The upcoming Rajya Sabha elections for three seats in Rajasthan are anticipated to proceed uncontested. While the BJP has nominated candidates for two seats, they have opted not to field a candidate for the third seat. Conversely, the Congress will contest for one seat, making the elections likely to be uncontested. Nominations will undergo scrutiny on 1st and 6th of February, with the deadline for withdrawal set for 20th February.
Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot addressed the media, underscoring Sonia Gandhi's significant political influence. He noted that while Sonia Gandhi could have been elected as a Rajya Sabha member from any state, she chose Rajasthan.
Rajasthan Congress State President Govind Singh Dotasara and Leader of Opposition Tikaram Julie had earlier sent a proposal to Sonia Gandhi on Sunday, urging her to contest for a Rajya Sabha seat from Rajasthan. There was widespread demand for Sonia Gandhi to represent Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha, filling the vacancy left by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
It will be Sonia Gandhi's first term in the Upper House after serving five terms as a Lok Sabha MP.
The 77-year-old, who represented Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha, will not contest the next general elections. She was first elected as an MP in 1999 after taking over as the Congress president.
Sonia Gandhi will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter Rajya Sabha after former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was a member of the Upper House from August 1964 to February 1967.
The party has not formally declared any candidate for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections.
Gandhi had announced in 2019 that it would be her last Lok Sabha election.
Speculation is rife that her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could contest from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency after Sonia Gandhi opted out this time.
That Sonia Gandhi chose to contest from Rajasthan and not from a southern state like Telangana or Karnataka, where the party is also comfortably placed to win, is also a signal that the Congress' first family is not abandoning the Hindi heartland.
The biennial elections to fill 56 seats of Rajya Sabha will be held on February 27. The last date for filing of nominations is February 15.
(with inputs from PTI)