Ex-Congress Chief and Senior leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday filed her nomination papers for the approaching Rajya Sabha polls from Rajasthan. Before filing her nomination, Sonia Gandhi met with the party MLAs in the opposition lobby of the assembly.
Her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra, leader of opposition Tikaram Jully were present at the time of the nomination filing in the assembly building.
The party is certain to win one Rajya Sabha seat from the state, and it will be the 77-year-old leader's first term in the Upper House after serving five terms as a Lok Sabha MP. The seat will fall vacant after former prime minister Manmohan Singh completes his six-year tenure in April.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot earlier wrote on X, "We heartily welcome the announcement of respected Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji as the Rajya Sabha candidate from the Congress Party, who renounced the post of Prime Minister. Today her announcement as Rajya Sabha candidate from Rajasthan is a matter of happiness for the entire state and with this announcement all the old memories have been refreshed."
A total of 56 members of Rajya Sabha from 15 states are retiring in April and the election to the seats will be held on February 27. The last date for filing nominations is February 15.
Sonia, who was a representative of Rae Bareli in the lower house, will not be contesting the following general elections.
She will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter the Rajya Sabha after former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was a member of the Upper House from August 1964 to February 1967.
Sonia already had announced in 2019 that it would be her last Lok Sabha election.
Earlier there were speculations of her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, which now has been rife following the announcement.
She landed at the Jaipur airport earlier this morning, accompanied by Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She was received by senior leader and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and others.
Follow us
