Sonia Gandhi takes oath as Rajya Sabha member.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi was among 14 members who were administered the oath of office in the Rajya Sabha on April 4. Administered by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, this marked Gandhi’s first stint in the upper house of Parliament. Gandhi has been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan after former PM Manmohan Singh completed his tenure earlier this week.
She entered the Rajya Sabha instead of contesting the Lok Sabha polls. Among the others who took oath were railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and former Congress leader RPN Singh, who has joined the BJP. YSRCP leaders Gola Babu Rao, Medha Raghunath Reddy and Yerum Venkat Subba Reddy also swore in.
Gandhi was accompanied by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, son Rahul Gandhi, and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She had previously contested Lok Sabha elections from Amethi and Rae Bareli.
The Congress has declared candidates for 15 of the 17 seats allotted as part of an alliance with the SP. It is yet to decide on Rae Bareli and Amethi, constituencies held by the Gandhi family in the past.
Rae Bareli has remained loyal to the Congress since its inception, represented by Indira Gandhi, Feroze Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi at different times. The oath-taking marked Gandhi’s debut in the upper house of Parliament.
