Why Sonia Gandhi filed nomination for RS and what this means for 2024 polls

Sonia Gandhi has filed her nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Rajasthan. The development comes just months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Sonia has previously served five terms as a Lok Sabha MP. But what do we know about Sonia’s shift to the Rajya Sabha? And what does it mean? Let’s take a closer look: What do we know about the shift? Sonia filed her nominations papers on Wednesday. Prior to filing nominations, Sonia met with the party MLAs in the Opposition lobby of the Assembly. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra, leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully were present. According to Rediff.com, the Congress currently has 70 MLAs in the Rajasthan Assembly. As Sonia needs 51 votes to win, her victory is assured. The BJP, meanwhile, has fielded ex-MLAs Madan Rathor and Chunni Lal Girasiya.

This will be Sonia’s first term in India’s Upper House.

The Congress is comfortably placed to win one of the three Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan for which elections will be held. The seat is set to fall vacant in April after former prime minister Manmohan Singh completes his six-year term. According to Rediff.com, Singh is in ill health and will not likely fight another election. Sonia, Rathor and Girasiya are set to be elected unopposed. Sonia was first elected MP in 1999 after taking over as Congress chief. As per NDTV, Sonia won from both Amethi in UP and Bellary in Karnataka. Then, in 2004, Sonia contested from the party citadel of Raebareli. Sonia will become 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. Gandhi had announced in 2019 that it would be her last Lok Sabha election. In a post on X earlier in the day, Gehlot said, “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,” he added. 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 27 February . The last date for filing nominations is 15 February. The party is fielding Abishek Manu Singhvi from Himachal Pradesh, Akhilesh Pradesh Singh in Bihar and Chandrakant Handore in Maharashtra. What does it mean? After Sonia decided not to contest the Lok Sabha polls, rumours are doing the rounds that Priyanka could be fielded from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency. A piece in NDTV noted Sonia’s grip on Rae Bareli. “Ms Gandhi has held Raebareli since 2004, never polling below 55 per cent. She won the seat even in 2014 and 2019, when the Congress was routed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP, and held it even when Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi. And leaves (very) big shoes to fill for whomever the Congress fields from here in the April/May election,” the piece noted.

But a piece in News18 quoted those in the know as saying Rae Bareli would not be an easy victory this time.

[caption id=“attachment_13273112” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Rumours are rife that Priyanka Gandhi will contest the polls from Rae Bareli. PTI[/caption]

“After a win in Amethi, the BJP has sent a clear message — that it will not be generous in the Gandhi bastions. It’s quite possible that the BJP fields a strong candidate, or at least ensures that it gives a tough run in case a Gandhi sibling consists from Raebareli,” the piece stated.

Sources told The Times of India that Priyanka might also contest from Amethi.

“A final decision on whether she will contest the Lok Sabha election is yet to be taken by party leadership,” the source told the newspaper.

“Singh’s anticipated exit and Ms Gandhi’s predicted transfer are only two-thirds of this story, which, if completed to script, will signal a generational change in the Congress’ top leadership,” the NDTV piece concluded.

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 an indication that the Congress’ first family is not abandoning the Hindi-heartland.

The Congress lost polls in Rajasthan in December. A party strategist told the newspaper Sonia choosing a larger state would help the party’s political messaging. The News18 piece contented that Sonia might be called upon to revisit the role she played in 2004 in the Rajya Sabha. “Sonia Gandhi’s good relations with many of her new colleagues in the Rajya Sabha may call upon her to ensure that her experience in stitching alliances comes in handy to mend the tears in the INDIA bloc,” the piece concluded. With inputs from agencies