Sonia Gandhi files Rajya Sabha nomination from Rajasthan, 20-year-long Lok Sabha stint nearing its end

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has filed her nomination for a Rajya Sabha and is set to step down from Lok Sabha as member of Parliament from Raebareli Constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Ms. Gandhi filed her nomination from Rajasthan on Wednesday and is likely to take over the seat of former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh, who is expected to retire this year. Dr. Manmohan Singh is presently the Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan. Reportedly, Gandhi left her house in Delhi early morning on Wednesday and reached Jaipur at 10 am to file her nomination.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X to welcome Sonia Gandhi’s decision. “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,” posted Gehlot on X.

Sonia Gandhi, 77, first became an MP in 1999 after winning both Karnataka’s Bellary and Amethi from Uttar Pradesh. She retained Amethi, which was also the seat of her late husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In 2004, she vacated the seat of Amethi and contested from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. Starting from 2004, Ms. Gandhi set an electoral record of never securing less than 55% vote share. She kept her seat even when Rahul Gandhi suffered defeat in Amethi in 2019.

While Congress is yet to announce Sonia Gandhi’s replacement for the Raebareli seat, there are speculations about Priyanka Gandhi’s poll debut in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when Priyanka Gandhi was asked about her poll debut and if she would contest the elections against Prime Minister Modi, she responded "Why not". The Congress party, however, has made no such statements to confirm or deny Priyanka Gandhi's poll debut for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.