One of the most well-known leaders of the main opposition Congress party in India, Sonia Gandhi, has informed her constituency in writing that she will not be running in the upcoming elections, citing her deteriorating health and advancing years. However, she will still play a big part in Indian politics because she filed her nomination earlier this week to serve in the upper house of parliament, which is chosen indirectly.
Sonia, 77, an Italian native, was widowed by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, whose grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, and mother, Indira, previously held the position.
After dominating the nation for decades following independence, the Congress is now a shell of its former self. In the 2019 elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party won 52 seats out of the 545 in the lower house of parliament.
Elections are scheduled for May, and Modi, 73, will likely win a remarkable third term. However, a recent poll indicated that Congress would do marginally better than in 2019.
