Poor health & political compulsion bring Sonia to Rajya Sabha polls

Jaipur: The filing of nomination by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for the Rajya Sabha is widely interpreted as signaling the conclusion of an era in which the Gandhi family actively participated in electoral politics. Poor health and a desire to focus on other political contributions are cited as the primary motivations behind this significant decision. Having served as a Member of Parliament for five terms in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi has been representing Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

It is being said that due to her poor health, she couldn’t remain active in her parliamentary constituency, and in the future too, her getting very active is quite difficult. Though Uttar Pradesh has been a political bastion for the Gandhi family, but now, the Congress is losing ground so much so that Rahul Gandhi lost the election last time from his longstanding stronghold of Amethi.

The atmosphere that has been formed after the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, would have been very challenging for Sonia Gandhi to contest from Rae Bareli. Any adverse election outcome would have conveyed a wrong political message. The party holds the belief that Sonia Gandhi’s continued presence in Parliament, despite her reduced activity, is beneficial for the party’s vitality. Consequently, it appears highly likely that Priyanka Gandhi will contest from Rae Bareli.

Both Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan were under consideration as ‘potential gateways’ for Sonia Gandhi’s entry into the Rajya Sabha. The primary rationale behind choosing Rajasthan is the State’s significant electoral weight, boasting 25 Lok Sabha seats. Gandhi’s representation from Rajasthan is expected to energise Congress workers and potentially bolster the party’s prospects in the Lok Sabha elections. However, political adversaries are likely to attempt to spin this decision as a sign of apprehension about impending defeat.

It’s intriguing that Sonia Gandhi marks the third generation of the Nehru-Gandhi family to step into the Upper House of Parliament. Preceding her, only two female members of the Nehru-Gandhi lineage held seats in the Rajya Sabha. Uma Nehru, the wife of Shamlal, a cousin of Pandit Nehru, served as a Rajya Sabha member from 1962 to 1963. Following her, Indira Gandhi entered the Rajya Sabha in 1964 and held her seat until 1967. Both leaders represented Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha. Notably, when Indira Gandhi assumed the role of Prime Minister for the first time, she was already a member of the Rajya Sabha.