Wait… she quit Congress? Kerala’s Sonia Gandhi wants you to vote for BJP

Sonia Gandhi is contesting in the upcoming local body elections in Kerala, but not the one most people would first imagine.

In the Munnar panchayat’s Nallathanni ward (Ward 16), a BJP candidate named Sonia Gandhi has entered the fray. She shares her name with the former Congress president, but her political journey has taken a different path.

Her father, Durairaj, a staunch Congress loyalist, named her after the Congress leader he deeply admired for her political affinity. However, Sonia’s political alignment changed after her marriage to Subhash, who is a BJP supporter.

Now campaigning door to door draped in a saffron shawl, she introduces herself with confidence, telling voters, “I am Sonia Gandhi,” as she seeks support for the lotus symbol.

The contest in the ward has shaped into a tight triangular battle, with Sonia facing Manjula Ramesh of the Congress and Valarmathi of the CPM. 

The two phases of Kerala's local body elections are set for December 9 and 11. Munnar panchayat in Idukki district will go to the polls in the first phase on December 9.