Sonia Gandhi, who has represented Raebareli in Lok Sabha since 2004, said in the letter that she won’t be contesting Lok Sabha elections 2024.
New Delhi: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Thursday announced that she will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections because of health concerns. Notably, Sonia Gandhi wrote a letter to the people of Raebareli thanking them for their support. The former Congress president, who has represented Raebareli in Lok Sabha since 2004, said in the letter that she won’t be contesting Lok Sabha elections 2024. She filed her nomination papers from Rajasthan for the Rajya Sabha polls.
“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,” Sonia Gandhi said.
Read Sonia Gandhi’s Letter to Raebareli People
She further said in the letter, “I know you will stand by me and my family in future just as in the past.”
Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday filed her nomination papers here for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from Rajasthan. Her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra, leader of opposition Tikaram Jully were present at the time of the nomination filing in the assembly building.
Before filing nomination, Sonia Gandhi met with the party MLAs in the opposition lobby of the assembly.
The Congress is comfortably placed to win one of the three Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan for which elections will be held. The seat will fall vacant after former prime minister Manmohan Singh completes his six-year tenure in April.
It will be Sonia Gandhi’s first term in the Upper House after serving five terms as a Lok Sabha MP. The 77-year-old, who represented Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha, will not contest the next general elections. She was first elected as an MP in 1999 after taking over as the Congress president.
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In a post on X earlier in the day, Gehlot said, “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,” he added.
A total of 56 members of Rajya Sabha from 15 states are retiring in April and the election to the seats will be held on February 27. The last date for filing nominations is February 15.
Sonia Gandhi will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter Rajya Sabha after former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was a member of the Upper House from August 1964 to February 1967.
