Sonia Gandhi to file nomination for Rajya Sabha polls from Rajasthan: sources
The Hindu
Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party and former party president Sonia Gandhi, will be filing nomination for the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan
Chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party and former party president Sonia Gandhi, will be filing nomination for the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on February 14, according to sources. Ms. Gandhi is currently serving her fifth term in Lok Sabha and it will be her first stint in the upper house.
The 72-year-old has been battling illness for a long time and steped back from many party engagements, including the recent election campaigns. Sources said her son Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will accompany her when she files nomination in Jaipur.
According to the sources, Karnataka unit of the party wanted her to contest the Rajya Sabha polls from the State, however it was a strategic call to field her from one of the northern States. “Our President Mallikarjun Kharge comes from Karnataka, our former President Rahul Gandhi is a MP from Wayanad. We can’t have another former President to represent a southern State, that would mean we are entirely giving up on the electoral battle in the North,” a senior Congress leader explained.
Also read | Congress preparing a new template to take on BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha polls
Ms Gandhi contested the first Lok Sabha election in 1999 from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and Bellary in Karnataka. She gave up Bellary, to retain Amethi, which her husband Rajiv Gandhi represented in four consecutive elections. In 2004 elections, she shifted to Gandhi family’s pocket borough — Rae Bareli, vacating Amethi in favour of her son Rahul Gandhi.
Congress has won the Rae Bareli seat 17 times since the first general elections. The seat was first represented by Feroze Gandhi and later on three occasions by Indira Gandhi. In 1977 Janata Party leader Raj Narain had famously defeated Indira Gandhi here and the BJP won the seat in the 1996 & 1998 elections.
The party so far is yet to make an official announcement in this regard. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently taunted Congress during his speech in Lok Sabha on Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, saying that many of the Congress leaders are taking the Rajya Sabha route to return to Parliament.
Bengaluru commuters demand platform screen doors for safety, but high costs and engineering challenges hinder implementation on existing metro routes.
Madras HC to hear appeals on December 12 regarding the lighting of Mahadeepam at Thirupparankundram temple.
N. Ram warns that hate politics threatens India’s democracy, urging the South to remain a bastion against these forces.
Nanjil Sampath joins Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, revitalizing his political career after six years away from party politics.
D.K. Shivakumar announces that five Blue Line stations will open once construction is completed, enhancing Bengaluru's airport connectivity.
Russia begins fuel shipments for Kudankulam's third reactor, enhancing efficiency and extending operational cycles for the nuclear power project.
Supreme Court urges governments to simplify administration, warning that excessive rules may lead to judicial review and citizen burdens.
Trinamool MP Shatabdi Roy's remarks on Bangla-speaking deportations spark protests in Lok Sabha, igniting a heated political debate.
Sunali Khatun returns to India with her son after six months in Bangladesh, following Supreme Court intervention.
Warangal will be developed on the lines of Hyderabad, says Revanth
Three-tier security measures and traffic restrictions are in place for the India-South Africa ODI match in Vizag.
A seven-year-old girl dies from severe dengue shock syndrome in Bengaluru, highlighting the challenges faced by migrant families in healthcare access.
DGP reviews security arrangements for Global Summit