NEW DELHI: Ex Congress President Sonia Gandhi certainly went to great lengths on Saturday to campaign for her party ahead of the May 10 Karnataka assembly elections. Her campaign speech at Hubballi is unique in that she gave it after a gap of about three and a half years.
Although Sonya attended Parliament, addressed Congress Parliamentary Party meetings as chairperson, visited abroad and took part in other engagements, it is for the first time since 14 December 2019 that she has addressed a public rally .
He had spoken at the Congress ‘Bharat Bachao (Save India) Gathering’ in 2019 rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
In fact, she did not speak at a single public rally even in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. On 11 April 2019, she addressed the media people only after submitting her candidacy papers from her constituency in Raebareli.
Sonia, who set the record for having remained Congress president for the longest time in the party’s 136-year history, had stayed away from public rallies since December 2019.
He did not participate in the Gujarat or Himachal Pradesh assembly elections in November-December last year. Earlier in 2022 itself, he did not campaign for Congress candidates in Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand nor did he campaign in state polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya held earlier this year.
Her name was mentioned first in the list of top Congress activists for all the assembly elections and also for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections until she was the party chairman on 26 October 2022. Subsequently, his name is listed in second place after that of his successor Mallikarjun Kharge.
However, he hasn’t addressed a campaign rally in the past five to six years.
Congress adds Sonia’s name in every election to the list of top activists under the protocol. She forced the party after about five to six years.
Previously, Sonia had faced three demonstrations in May 2016.
On 21 May 2016, she spoke at the ‘Hum Mein Hain Rajiv (Gandhi)’ rally in Delhi on the 25th anniversary of the death of her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
On 10 May 2016, Sonia spoke at a rally in Thiruvananthapuram, striking out at those who called her a “foreigner”.
On 6 May 2016, Sonia addressed the Loktantra Bachao (Save Democracy) rally in Delhi alongside former Chief Minister Manmohan Singh before calling for arrest.
Sonia, who turned 76 on December 9, 2022, has not been doing well. The first time she faced a health problem during a political event was on 2 August 2016, after she landed at Varanasi airport to launch the congressional campaign for the 2017 UP assembly elections.
He was supposed to visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple and give a public talk. However, she fell ill soon after reaching Varanasi and on the same day she had to be airlifted and admitted to a hospital in Delhi.
Some congressional leaders attribute Sonia’s disappearance from public rallies to her health problems. However, this is ruled out because she has been active elsewhere. For example, you regularly attend sessions of Parliament.
As MP for Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, he raises issues of urgent attention in the Lok Sabha. He also addresses MPs from his party as chairman of the CPP during sessions of Parliament.
Sonia also travels outside Delhi for personal and party related work. She addressed her party leaders twice at “Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir” in Udaipur on 13 May and 15 May 2022.
He traveled to Italy last year to meet his mother who passed away.
One of her recent speeches was on 19 November 2022 at the Indira Gandhi Award Ceremony at the Jawahar Bhawan in Delhi as the President of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
Sonia was also questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (DE) for several hours over three days in July in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.
Sonia appears to be slowly and gradually withdrawing from active politics to foster her children Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
On December 15, 2017, a day before Rahul Gandhi succeeded her as Congress President, Sonia said she was on the verge of retiring from politics. When asked about her role in her future, she said, “My role now is to retire.”
Sonia’s gradual withdrawal from active politics is now evident. You stopped speaking at campaign rallies. She limited herself to limited political events.
However, amidst all these developments, the Karnataka assembly election is clearly an exception. It points to the high importance Congress and Sonia herself attach to the election of Karnataka.
Although Sonya attended Parliament, addressed Congress Parliamentary Party meetings as chairperson, visited abroad and took part in other engagements, it is for the first time since 14 December 2019 that she has addressed a public rally .
He had spoken at the Congress ‘Bharat Bachao (Save India) Gathering’ in 2019 rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
In fact, she did not speak at a single public rally even in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. On 11 April 2019, she addressed the media people only after submitting her candidacy papers from her constituency in Raebareli.
Sonia, who set the record for having remained Congress president for the longest time in the party’s 136-year history, had stayed away from public rallies since December 2019.
He did not participate in the Gujarat or Himachal Pradesh assembly elections in November-December last year. Earlier in 2022 itself, he did not campaign for Congress candidates in Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand nor did he campaign in state polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya held earlier this year.
Her name was mentioned first in the list of top Congress activists for all the assembly elections and also for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections until she was the party chairman on 26 October 2022. Subsequently, his name is listed in second place after that of his successor Mallikarjun Kharge.
However, he hasn’t addressed a campaign rally in the past five to six years.
Congress adds Sonia’s name in every election to the list of top activists under the protocol. She forced the party after about five to six years.
Previously, Sonia had faced three demonstrations in May 2016.
On 21 May 2016, she spoke at the ‘Hum Mein Hain Rajiv (Gandhi)’ rally in Delhi on the 25th anniversary of the death of her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
On 10 May 2016, Sonia spoke at a rally in Thiruvananthapuram, striking out at those who called her a “foreigner”.
On 6 May 2016, Sonia addressed the Loktantra Bachao (Save Democracy) rally in Delhi alongside former Chief Minister Manmohan Singh before calling for arrest.
Sonia, who turned 76 on December 9, 2022, has not been doing well. The first time she faced a health problem during a political event was on 2 August 2016, after she landed at Varanasi airport to launch the congressional campaign for the 2017 UP assembly elections.
He was supposed to visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple and give a public talk. However, she fell ill soon after reaching Varanasi and on the same day she had to be airlifted and admitted to a hospital in Delhi.
Some congressional leaders attribute Sonia’s disappearance from public rallies to her health problems. However, this is ruled out because she has been active elsewhere. For example, you regularly attend sessions of Parliament.
As MP for Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, he raises issues of urgent attention in the Lok Sabha. He also addresses MPs from his party as chairman of the CPP during sessions of Parliament.
Sonia also travels outside Delhi for personal and party related work. She addressed her party leaders twice at “Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir” in Udaipur on 13 May and 15 May 2022.
He traveled to Italy last year to meet his mother who passed away.
One of her recent speeches was on 19 November 2022 at the Indira Gandhi Award Ceremony at the Jawahar Bhawan in Delhi as the President of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
Sonia was also questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (DE) for several hours over three days in July in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.
Sonia appears to be slowly and gradually withdrawing from active politics to foster her children Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
On December 15, 2017, a day before Rahul Gandhi succeeded her as Congress President, Sonia said she was on the verge of retiring from politics. When asked about her role in her future, she said, “My role now is to retire.”
Sonia’s gradual withdrawal from active politics is now evident. You stopped speaking at campaign rallies. She limited herself to limited political events.
However, amidst all these developments, the Karnataka assembly election is clearly an exception. It points to the high importance Congress and Sonia herself attach to the election of Karnataka.
