In an emotional speech on Thursday, Congresswoman Sonia Gandhi announced to the people in her Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh that she will not be running for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections because of age and health concerns. Rae Bareli constituency has been represented by Sonia Gandhi since 2004. The 77-year-old Congresswoman also made vague allusions to a potential family member from the Rae Bareli segment entering the race.
The former president of the Congress, Sonia Gandhi, announced her candidature for the Rajasthani Rajya Sabha seat just one day prior to today.
“I have always tried my hardest to keep your trust, and I’m glad to say that whatever I am now, I am because of you. “I will not be running for the next Lok Sabha election due to health and age concerns,” she stated in the Hindi message.
“I will not be able to directly assist you after this choice, but my heart and soul will always be with you. As you have done in the past, I know you will support my family and I in the future,” Sonia Gandhi wrote.
There are several rumours that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the daughter of Sonia Gandhi, may run this time from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala poked fun at the Congress, questioning the party’s formal “association” with Uttar Pradesh going forward and claiming that the Congress was afraid of losing Rae Bareli.
“This nomination makes it quite evident that the Gandhi family will no longer be formally associated with Uttar Pradesh…Politically, Uttar Pradesh nourished the family. After losing Amethi, they now fear that they would also lose their seat in Raebareli.”
Remarkably, Amethi and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh were formerly hotbeds of Congress activity. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, however, party leader Rahul Gandhi lost his Lok Sabha seat to Smriti Irani of the BJP.
Laxmikant Bhardwaj, the Rajasthan BJP spokesperson, attacked the Congress with a stinging tirade earlier on Wednesday.
“During its five years in power, the Congress party has committed crimes against people, particularly women in Rajasthan. Rajasthan has risen to the top of the list for crimes against women. Sonia Gandhi refrained from speaking about it. Despite serious setbacks, she continued to defend the Rajasthani government, according to Laxmikant Bhardwaj.