Sonia Gandhi And BJP Leadership Secure Unopposed Victories In Rajya Sabha Elections

In her inaugural term in the Rajya Sabha, veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi secured her seat unopposed from Rajasthan on Tuesday. Simultaneously, BJP's national president, JP Nadda, along with three other party candidates, emerged victorious without opposition for the Rajya Sabha positions in Gujarat.

Sonia Gandhi, aged 77, submitted her nomination in Jaipur on February 14, opting out of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections citing health concerns. She is set to occupy the seat becoming vacant in April after the completion of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Rajya Sabha term. Additionally, Bhupendra Yadav's (BJP) term concludes on April 3, and another vacancy arose when BJP's Kirodi Lal Meena resigned from the House in December to take up a role as an MLA.

Having represented Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha since 2004, Sonia Gandhi has decided not to participate in the next general elections after serving five terms as an MP. Her initial election was in 1999 from Bellary when she assumed the position of Congress president.

In Rajasthan, BJP's Chunnilal Gadasia and Madan Rathore also secured their Rajya Sabha seats unopposed. Out of the ten Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, the Congress now holds six, while the BJP holds four.

Simultaneously in Gujarat, all four BJP candidates, including national president JP Nadda, Govindbhai Dholakia, Mayank Nayak, and Dr. Jaswantsinh Parmar, were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha. With no competing candidates, the three leaders were smoothly elected, and the by-elections for these four seats were announced as they are set to become vacant on April 14. The Election Commission officially confirmed the membership of all four BJP candidates in the Upper House in Gujarat.