Why did Sonia Gandhi take the route of Rajya Sabha instead of Lok Sabha this time to reach Parliament?

Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan. Along with this, Sonia Gandhi, the outgoing MP from Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh, has put an end to her political innings in the Lok Sabha and has taken the path of Rajya Sabha so that she can remain a member of the Parliament. However, it was already believed that since Sonia Gandhi’s health is not good, she should reach Parliament through Rajya Sabha instead of contesting the Lok Sabha elections. But if it is really due to ill health that Sonia is going to Rajya Sabha instead of Lok Sabha, then this thinking is not right at all. It is true that all parties need the experience and guidance of senior leaders, but it is not necessary that the senior person will be a part of any House of Parliament, only then his experience can be taken advantage of.

Instead of giving a seat in the Rajya Sabha to an unhealthy person, it should be given to an energetic person who can work more diligently for the country and society. Here we do not at all mean to say that elderly and unhealthy people should be sidelined. In fact, with the speed with which the world is progressing, we too need to work faster to keep pace with it or to overtake the world. If we understand this with an example, then see that till now former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan. It is true that Dr. Manmohan Singh has made important contributions to the country in many ways, but the question arises whether he could do any meaningful work in the Rajya Sabha during his tenure or could he protect the interests of Rajasthan? The answer will be no. So the question arises that why do political parties reserve parliamentary seats to keep their senior leaders on posts? Is there a famine of more capable leaders in the party? Do political parties not find any eligible person among the 140 crore countrymen?

Since we are talking about Congress, it is also important to know that Sonia Gandhi has made a record. That record is that she has been the only president of Congress since its formation who has led the party for the longest period. However, his leadership led to the expansion of familyism. As soon as Sonia Gandhi was the president, her son Rahul Gandhi progressed in the party and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also played an active role in the party affairs. Moreover, despite being away from the post of Congress President, the Gandhi family continues to play an influential role in party affairs. If we look at it, there is no doubt that by laying the foundation of the United Progressive Alliance in 2004, Sonia Gandhi played an important role in forming the Congress-led coalition government at the Center and her party remained in power at the Center for ten years. Sonia Gandhi could not become the Prime Minister, but during the Manmohan Singh government, the committee led by Sonia was considered the super prime minister. If we look at it, after achieving all this, it was not necessary that Sonia Gandhi should remain a member of Parliament, but it is not easy to give up the allure of the post.

Although Congress may be saying that Sonia Gandhi has gone to Rajya Sabha due to health reasons, it is also a political reality that it is not easy for Sonia Gandhi to win the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli this time. In the last Lok Sabha elections, her son Rahul Gandhi had lost from Amethi and the victory margin of Sonia Gandhi herself had become much smaller than before. She must have hardly gone to Rae Bareli in five years. Now even his daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra does not go to Rae Bareli to inquire about his well-being. Even during the time of Covid, Sonia kept her face away from her parliamentary constituency. In the last assembly elections and Panchayat elections of Uttar Pradesh, the way Congress was almost wiped out from the entire state including Amethi and Rae Bareli, it is not easy for Sonia Gandhi to face defeat in this phase of her political career. That’s why Sonia Gandhi did not show the courage to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh this time.

Let us tell you that Sonia Gandhi has been a Lok Sabha member continuously since 1999 and currently she is representing Rae Bareli Lok Sabha parliamentary seat of Uttar Pradesh. She has also been a Lok Sabha member from Amethi. She has also won the election from Bellary, Karnataka. He defeated BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on that seat. However, he later left that seat. However, this will be the first time that she will go to the Upper House of Parliament. She will be the second member of the Gandhi family to enter the Rajya Sabha after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi was a member of the Upper House from August 1964 to February 1967.

-Neeraj Kumar Dubey