February 20, 2024
NEW DELHI – Sonia Gandhi decided to contest for the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan this week, surprising many. She has served in the Lok Sabha for 25 years and represents Rae Bareli. Some wonder if the Gandhis left their stronghold due to the party’s weakened position in Uttar Pradesh. Sonia’s decision to join the Rajya Sabha is an important moment for the Congress party. She is the second member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to do so.
Indira Gandhi, her motherin-law, also served briefly before winning the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli. Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, and Sanjay Gandhi have previously represented Uttar Pradesh in Parliament. The Nehru-Gandhi family is a prominent political force in India. They come from Uttar Pradesh, but recent events suggest they are moving away from the state, raising concerns. The dynasty has dominated Indian politics for almost 50 years, producing three prime ministers.
However, the Congress party, led by the Congress, last held power in Uttar Pradesh in 1989. In an emotional letter, Sonia told her Rae Bareli constituents, “Due to health and increasing age, I will not contest the next Lok Sabha elections. After this decision, I will not get the opportunity to serve you directly, but certainly, my heart and soul will always be with you.” For many years, Rae Bareli and Amethi were known as the strongholds of the Gandhi family. Since 1952, Rae Bareli has consistently supported the Congress party and the Gandhi family.
Feroze Gandhi, Indira’s husband, was first elected from this constituency in 1952. Similarly, Amethi has been the stronghold of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty since its formation in 1967. In every term, except for a few years in the 1970s and the late 1990s, the constituency has preferred the family. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his disappointment with the opposition, stating they lack the courage to participate in elections. He sarcastically mentioned that some politicians are considering changing their seats, with some even contemplating moving from the Lok Sabha to the Rajya Sabha. Sonia Gandhi began her political career in 1998, winning Lok Sabha seats from Amethi and Bellary in 1999.
She continued to win elections from Rae Bareli in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. Despite being offered the opportunity to enter the Rajya Sabha from various states, Sonia chose to contest from Rajasthan, where she expected to win unopposed. At 77, Sonia has no plans to retire from public life and is looking to reposition herself. South India has long supported the Gandhi family, even during the emergency. Specifically, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka remained loyal to Indira Gandhi. She defeated Veerendra Patil of the Janata Party in a by-election from Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka.
Then, in 1980, she won the elections from Rae Bareli and Medak in Andhra Pradesh and retained her seat in Medak. In 1999, Sonia won the Bellary and Amethi seats but later resigned from the Amethi seat. In the 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi, the former President of Congress, contested from Amethi and Wayanad in Kerala. Rahul had represented the Amethi seat since 2004 but lost it in 2019. However, he emerged victorious in Wayanad, which resulted in a shift in the political base of the Gandhi family to south India. Sonia Gandhi chose Rajasthan to show that the Congress values the Hindi heartland, which is essential for the party’s success in elections.
With Sonia representing Rajasthan, the party wants to strengthen its position in North India and balance its presence in the north and south. This decision addresses the perception that Hindi-speaking states are being neglected because of competition from the BJP and other regional parties. Why did Sonia decide to move out of Rae Bareli? One of her considerations was to keep her well-known address, the bungalow at 10 Janpath. She has lived there since 1989, when Rajiv Gandhi lost power.
Moving to the House of Elders would be a perfect way to achieve this goal, as she has no intentions of quitting politics, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Congress party of accepting their potential defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by nominating Sonia Gandhi to the upper house. There is speculation that after Rahul Gandhi’s loss in Amethi, Rae Bareli could be the next one to face a similar outcome. Sonia Gandhi’s poor health, which she has informed her Rae Bareli constituents about, may also be a factor. She has also been campaigning less than usual.
The Gandhi family believes that they should be in parliament, regardless of which house they represent. Whether Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi again or if Priyanka Vadra will choose Rae Bareli is still being determined. Opinion polls predict that the Bharatiya Janata Party may win the 2024 elections, causing uncertainty in opposition ranks. The Congress needs to be cautious with every step taken. Sonia’s move to Rajya Sabha is one such step that required careful consideration.