National Desk, Feb 20: Senior Congress leader and former party chief Sonia Gandhi has secured a significant victory by being elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. The announcement of her election to the Upper House of Parliament was made by Rajasthan Assembly Secretary Mahaveer Prasad Sharma on Tuesday.
Alongside Sonia Gandhi, BJP’s Chunnilal Garasiya and Madan Rathore also clinched their seats unopposed to the Upper House from Rajasthan, Sharma confirmed. With Tuesday marking the last day for withdrawing nominations, and no other candidates in contention, the three leaders sailed through their Rajya Sabha bids without contest, as stated by the officer.
The tenure of Rajya Sabha members Manmohan Singh (Congress) and Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) is set to conclude on April 3. The third seat became vacant following the resignation of BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena from the House in December after his election as MLA. Notably, the BJP holds 115 members and the Congress 70 in the 200-member assembly, with 10 Rajya Sabha seats allocated to Rajasthan. With these results, the Congress now holds six members, while the BJP holds four.
This marks Sonia Gandhi’s inaugural term in the Rajya Sabha, also known as the House of Elders. The 77-year-old, wife of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi, filed her nomination papers in the presence of her son and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Jaipur.
Sonia Gandhi’s election to the Rajya Sabha underscores her continued influence within the political sphere and sets the stage for her contributions in the Upper House, shaping national policies and legislation.
