Manmohan Singh to end 33 years stint in RS on Apr 3; Sonia Gandhi to begin first | India News – Times of India

Manmohan Singh to end 33 years stint in RS on Apr 3; Sonia Gandhi to begin first | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister and stalwart Congress leader, Dr Manmohan Singh, announced his departure from the Rajya Sabha after an illustrious 33-year-long parliamentary career. His decision to step down coincides with Sonia Gandhi, former Congress president, making her entry into the Upper House.
Dr Singh, renowned for spearheading bold economic reforms during his tenure, first entered the Rajya Sabha in October 1991. Serving as the Finance Minister in the Narasimha Rao government from 1991 to 1996 and as the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, he played a pivotal role in shaping India’s economic landscape.
Sonia Gandhi, filing her nomination papers in Jaipur on Wednesday, is set to fill the void left by Dr Singh in the Rajya Sabha. This marks her first foray into the Upper House, representing Rajasthan.
The Congress leader, who has consistently represented Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha since 2004, has had an illustrious political career. She becomes the second member of the Gandhi family to join the Rajya Sabha after her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, who served from August 1964 to February 1967.
Dr Manmohan Singh, whose term concludes on April 3, has been a Rajya Sabha member from Assam for five consecutive terms, with a brief hiatus in 2019 when he represented Rajasthan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently acknowledged Dr Singh’s contributions, praising his commitment to democracy, even attending votes on a wheelchair amid health challenges.
Sonia Gandhi’s transition to the Rajya Sabha marks the end of an era for Dr Singh, who served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from March 21, 1998, to May 21, 2004. Despite facing criticism from the BJP during his tenure, Dr. Singh expressed optimism that history would judge him favorably.
As Sonia Gandhi prepares to take on her new role in the Upper House, India witnesses a momentous shift in its political landscape, bidding farewell to one stalwart leader while welcoming another into the hallowed halls of the Rajya Sabha.



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