Is Sonia Gandhi Going To Take The Rajya Sabha Route To Parliament?

From all indications, it is becoming clear that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi will not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli — a seat that she has represented since 2004 for four terms. As such she has not visited her constituency or has been taking any interest in her voters. Perhaps this was one of the reasons that she did not attend the pran pratishtha ceremony. Congress sources say she would prefer to be a Rajya Sabha MP and is actually looking to get elected from Himachal when the vacancy rises early April. It will be a seat vacated by BJP chief JP Nadda. With daughter Priyanka Vadra having a house in Shimla, the Gandhi family feels Himachal is their second home. Sonia has been telling Congress leaders how Himachal has been close to Indira Gandhi. Though she is an outsider, Sonia will not be the first outsider MP for the state. Sources point out that post Emergency there was Mohinder Kaur (1978-84) — mother of now BJP leader and former Punjab CM, Capt Amarinder Singh — who had got elected as RS MP for one term. As for Rae Bareli — a seat once represented by Indira Gandhi and considered to be family turf — there is a buzz that it may go to the next generation. With the Samajwadi Party featuring Rae Bareli among the 11 seats where it is willing to back the Congress, looks like it could  soften the  electoral battle if either Priyanka Vadra or Rahul Gandhi wish to enter the fray from UP.