What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Highlighting her deep bond with Raebareli, Gandhi acknowledged the unwavering support and affection of its people.
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, declared her decision to withdraw from contesting the Lok Sabha Election in Raebareli, citing health issues on Thursday. She submitted her nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls in Rajasthan, on Wednesday.
In her letter, she expressed, “Due to health reasons and advancing age, I will not be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Although this choice means I won’t serve you directly, my thoughts and dedication will always remain with you.”
Highlighting her deep bond with Raebareli, Gandhi acknowledged the unwavering support and affection of its people.
READ MORE : Ex-Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan joins BJP after exiting Congress
“Our connection with Raebareli runs deep. In the first post-independence Lok Sabha polls, you elected my father-in-law, Shri Feroze Gandhi, to represent you in Delhi. Then, you embraced my mother-in-law, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, as one of your own. Since then, this bond has endured through thick and thin, strengthening our resolve,” Gandhi expressed.
Entering active politics in 1999 and subsequently serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sonia Gandhi secured victory in the 2004 General Elections from Raebareli.
Raebareli has remained a stronghold of the Congress party, representing its legacy from Feroz Gandhi to Indira Gandhi, and then to Sonia. In the 2019 elections, Sonia successfully defended her Raebareli seat, defeating BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh by 1,67,178 votes. However, Rahul Gandhi lost the Amethi seat, also considered a bastion of the grand old party, to Smriti Irani.
The Congress has historically dominated in Raebareli, winning in all but three Lok Sabha elections since 1951. Before Sonia, former PM Indira Gandhi had secured victory in Raebareli thrice. The constituency also saw success for Indira’s husband and Congress leader Feroze Gandhi twice, in 1952 and 1957.
READ MORE : ED summons Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu in Hemant Soren’s PMLA case
During the nomination filing for the Rajya Sabha seat, at the assembly building, her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Chief Govind Singh Dotasra, and Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully were present. Before filing the nominations, Sonia Gandhi met with the party MLAs in the opposition lobby of the assembly.
The Congress is well-positioned to clinch one of the three Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan in the upcoming elections. This seat will be vacant after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh completes his six-year term in April. This will mark Sonia Gandhi’s first term in the Upper House after serving five terms as a Lok Sabha MP.
