Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election from Rajasthan on Wednesday (February 14).
The Congress leader, who won elections to the Lok Sabha seven times, is now set to mark her maiden entry into the Upper House, the Rajya Sabha.
Sonia Gandhi wrote a letter to the people of Rae Bareli and said she would not contest the Lok Sabha elections from there due to her health and age.
A detailed examination of her poll affidavit, which was attached to her Rajya Sabha nomination papers, gives an insight into her personal and financial profile.
SONIA GANDHI’S WEALTH ACCORDING TO POLL AFFIDAVIT
While Sonia Gandhi has Rs 90,000 in cash, the Congress leader’s total assets are valued at Rs 12,53,76,822 (Rs 12.53 crore), according to her poll affidavit. The amount is the total of all the movable and immovable properties she has.
Sonia Gandhi’s total wealth has shown a gradual increase over the years.
In 2014, her wealth was reported to be 9.28 crore, which grew to 11.82 crore in 2019, and further increased to 12.53 crore in 2024. The wealth increased by approximately 27.59% from 2014 to 2019 and by about 5.89% from 2019 to 2024. However, her assets saw a significant jump between 2009 and 2014; 574.18%.
The movable assets valued at Rs 6,38,11,415, (Rs 6.38 corer) include assets such as jewellery, royalty from Oxford University, investments, bonds, bank deposits, and cash in hand.
The jewellery alone is valued at Rs 1,07,15,940 (Rs 1.07 crore), which is a big chunk of her movable wealth.
The jewellery includes 1.3 kg of gold, amounting to Rs 49.95 lakh, and 88 kg of silver, amounting to Rs 57.2 lakh.
Sonia Gandhi also has a share in an inherited residential property in Italy. The affidavit said the property amounts to Rs 26,83,594 (Rs 26.83 lakh) at the current market value. According to her poll affidavit before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the value of her share in the property in Italy was valued at Rs 19.9 lakh.
Sonia Gandhi’s Lok Sabha poll affidavit of 2019 also mentioned the residential property in Italy but didn’t state its value.
SONIA GANDHI’S SOURCES OF INCOME
Sonia Gandhi’s income streams include her MP salary, royalty income, interest from banks, bonds, dividends, and capital gains from mutual funds.
Educationally, Sonia Gandhi declared that she completed a three-year course in foreign languages (English and French) in 1964 from the Istituto Santa Teresa in Siena.
She also did a Certificate course in English from the Lennox Cook School, Cambridge, in 1965.
SONIA GANDHI HAS NO PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT
In the digital age of social media, Sonia Gandhi stands out.
Her affidavit says she does not have any social media accounts. She said she did not have any presence on Facebook, X or Instagram.
The poll affidavit also reveals the criminal cases pending against the Congress leader. It states that she has never been convicted in any criminal case.
The biennial Rajya Sabha elections to fill 56 seats are scheduled for February 27, with the last date for filing nominations being February 15.