Sonia Gandhi was elected unopposed and became a member of the Parliament of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. After the declaration of the results, both the elected MPs of the BJP received the certificates themselves. While Sonia Gandhi received her certificate from her agent. Moreover, Sachin Pilot posted on X after Sonia Gandhi was elected.
Before that, Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination for Rajya Sabha on February 14. While BJP candidates Chunni Lal Garasia and Madan Rathore filed their nominations on February 15, the last date for applications.
All three candidates were declared elected for the Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan. On Tuesday, in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Principal Secretary of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly and Returning Officer of Rajya Sabha Mahavir Prasad Sharma declared Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates Chunni Lal Garasia and Madan Rathore and Indian National Congress candidate Sonia Gandhi elected unopposed.
Sonia Gandhi Assets
Based on her latest election affidavit filed in January 2024 for the Rajya Sabha election, Sonia Gandhi’s total assets are valued at Rs 12.53 crore. This includes both movable and immovable properties. Here’s a breakdown:
Immovable Assets of Sonia Gandhi:
- Agricultural Land: She owns three plots of agricultural land in Dera Mandi village, New Delhi.  Furthermore, these three plots of agricultural land have a total estimated value of Rs 5.88 crore.
- Italy Property: She has a share in an inherited residential property in Italy, currently valued at around Rs 26.83 lakh.
Movable Assets:
- Cash: She declared having Rs 90,000 in cash.
- Precious Metals: She owns 88kg of silver and 1,267 grams of gold, with values not specified in the affidavit.
- Jewellery: She owns jewellery, although its value is not mentioned.
- Other Assets: Any other movable assets are not detailed in the affidavit.
Additional Points:
- Her total wealth has shown a gradual increase over the years. In 2014, her wealth was reported to be Rs 9.28 crore. That has grown to Rs 11.82 crore in 2019 and further increased to its current value.
- It’s important to note that asset declarations in affidavits are self-reported. Moreover, it might not reflect the total market value of the assets.
Sonia Gandhi shifted to Rajya Sabha
It is noteworthy that former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who was elected from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat, has been elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time. Congress had made her its candidate in place of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Furthermore, Manmohan Singh’s tenure is ending on April 3 this year. This marked her shift from contesting Lok Sabha elections (the lower house) after 20 years.
There were speculations that Sonia would not contest Rae Bareli in the general elections to be held this year. In her place, her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra can contest elections from Rae Bareli. Hence the Congress party made her a candidate for the Upper House. With her decision to not contest the Lok Sabha elections, speculation is rife about her future role in the Congress party and Indian politics.