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NEW DELHI: Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday set the stage for a significant shift in her long political career as she filed her nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan. This marks her transition from the house of people, which she represented for five terms spanning 25 years, to the house of elders where she will serve her first stint.
Sonia led the grand old party to two consecutive victories in 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections. This high was followed by a demoralising low when in 2014 Lok Sabha elections the grand old party was reduced to 44 seats, its worst ever electoral performance in national elections.
In 2004, Sonia had overwhelming support to become the Prime Minister of the first UPA government. However, she refused to occupy the post and instead choose Manmohan Singh to lead the government. Manmohan was the Prime Minister of both UPA 1 and UPA 2 governments.
Sonia’s plunge into politics was tentative. After the death of Rajiv Gandhi, she resisted several appeals to guide the party. Sonia eventually succumbed and took over the reins of the Congress in 1998. It was in 1999 that Sonia Gandhi was first elected as an MP. She contested from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and Bellary in Karnataka and won from both the seats. However, she retained Amethi which was a family stronghold. Sonia shifted to Rae Bareli constituency in 2004 and has represented it since then.
In 2006, Sonia was embroiled in office of profit controversy due to her stint as the chairperson of the National Advisory Council. She submitted her resignation in March 2006 and was re-elected from Rae Bareli with a margin of over four lakh votes in May 2006.
The BJP was quick to take a dig at the Congress and said Sonia Gandhi’s Rajya Sabha switch is an admission of “looming defeat” of the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
BJP IT department head Amit Malviya in a post on X said, “After Congress’ crushing defeat in Amethi, Rae Bareli was next. Sonia Gandhi’s decision to opt for Rajya Sabha is an admission of a looming defeat.”
Malviya said the Gandhis have now deserted their “every supposed stronghold” with the former Congress president deciding to take the Rajya Sabha route instead of contesting the Lok Sabha elections from her family pocket borough Rae Bareli.
“The Congress will draw a blank in UP, despite 11 seats offered by the SP (Samajwadi Party),” the BJP leader said.
Congress has fared poorly in Uttar Pradesh in the last two Lok Sabha elections. In 2014, Sonia and Rahul were the only two Congress candidates to register victory in the state. However, in 2019, Rahul lost to BJP ‘s Smriti Irani. There are strong reports that Sonia’s daughter and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will contest from the Congress stronghold of Rae Bareli in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Meanwhile, Sonia will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter Rajya Sabha after former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was a member of Upper House from August 1964 to February 1967.
Sonia led the grand old party to two consecutive victories in 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections. This high was followed by a demoralising low when in 2014 Lok Sabha elections the grand old party was reduced to 44 seats, its worst ever electoral performance in national elections.
In 2004, Sonia had overwhelming support to become the Prime Minister of the first UPA government. However, she refused to occupy the post and instead choose Manmohan Singh to lead the government. Manmohan was the Prime Minister of both UPA 1 and UPA 2 governments.
Sonia’s plunge into politics was tentative. After the death of Rajiv Gandhi, she resisted several appeals to guide the party. Sonia eventually succumbed and took over the reins of the Congress in 1998. It was in 1999 that Sonia Gandhi was first elected as an MP. She contested from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and Bellary in Karnataka and won from both the seats. However, she retained Amethi which was a family stronghold. Sonia shifted to Rae Bareli constituency in 2004 and has represented it since then.
In 2006, Sonia was embroiled in office of profit controversy due to her stint as the chairperson of the National Advisory Council. She submitted her resignation in March 2006 and was re-elected from Rae Bareli with a margin of over four lakh votes in May 2006.
The BJP was quick to take a dig at the Congress and said Sonia Gandhi’s Rajya Sabha switch is an admission of “looming defeat” of the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
BJP IT department head Amit Malviya in a post on X said, “After Congress’ crushing defeat in Amethi, Rae Bareli was next. Sonia Gandhi’s decision to opt for Rajya Sabha is an admission of a looming defeat.”
Malviya said the Gandhis have now deserted their “every supposed stronghold” with the former Congress president deciding to take the Rajya Sabha route instead of contesting the Lok Sabha elections from her family pocket borough Rae Bareli.
“The Congress will draw a blank in UP, despite 11 seats offered by the SP (Samajwadi Party),” the BJP leader said.
Congress has fared poorly in Uttar Pradesh in the last two Lok Sabha elections. In 2014, Sonia and Rahul were the only two Congress candidates to register victory in the state. However, in 2019, Rahul lost to BJP ‘s Smriti Irani. There are strong reports that Sonia’s daughter and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will contest from the Congress stronghold of Rae Bareli in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Meanwhile, Sonia will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter Rajya Sabha after former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was a member of Upper House from August 1964 to February 1967.
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