Elaheh Rastgou (Persian: الهه راستگو, lit. 'The Veracious Goddess') is an Iranian conservative-minded[4] reformist[5][6] politician who was formerly a member of City Council of Tehran and a Member of Parliament.
Elaheh Rastgou | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of City Council of Tehran | |
| In office 3 September 2013 – 22 August 2017 | |
| Majority | 179,982 (8.02%)[1] |
| Member of the Parliament of Iran | |
| In office 7 February 1997[2] – 26 May 2000 | |
| Constituency | Malayer |
| Majority | 112,396 (44.6%)[3] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1962 (age 61–62)[3] Malayer, Hamadan Province, Imperial State of Iran[3] |
| Political party | Independent (since 2013) |
| Other political affiliations | |
| Alma mater | Allameh Tabataba'i University |
Career
Rastgou entered Islamic Consultative Assembly's 5th term in Malayer's 1997 by-election, defeating the incumbent Hassan Zamanifar. She was a sympathizer of Executives of Construction fraction at the time.[7] In 2000 elections, she ran for a seat in Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr as Freethinkers' Pinnacle Party's candidate and was defeated.[8][7] Backed by reformist 'Coalition For Iran',[4] she was defeated in 2004 from the same district. In 2008 parliamentary elections, she lost again while listed in both Islamic Iran Participation Front and National Trust Party endorsing lists.[9]
She lost 2003 and 2006 elections of City Council of Tehran, but eventually won a seat in 2013 while being supported by reformists coalition.
2013 allegiance switch
A sudden switch of allegiance by Rastgou, reformist-backed member of the Tehran City Council, helped Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to retain his seat by a vote margin of one.[6] Following the vote, she was 'fired' from Islamic Labour Party because allegedly 'breaking her oath to vote for the reformist mayor'.[10]
In 2017, she officially joined the conservative alliance Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces.[11]
Electoral history
| Year | Election | Votes | % | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Parliament By-election | 112,396 | 44.6 | 1st | Won[7] |
| 2000 | Parliament | No Data Available | Lost[7] | ||
| 2003 | City Council of Tehran | 19,015 | 3.61 | 41st | Lost[12] |
| 2004 | Parliament |  74,111 | 3.76 | 38th | Lost[13] |
| 2006 | City Council of Tehran | No Data Available | Lost[14] | ||
| 2008 | Parliament Round 1 |  228,571 | 13.12 | 37th | Went to Round 2[15] |
| Parliament Round 2 | 191,097 | 28.47 | 16th | Lost[16] | |
| 2012 | Parliament | 90,003 | 4.24 | 64th | Lost[17] |
| 2013 | City Council of Tehran | 179,982 | 8.02 | 10th | Won[18] |
| 2017 | City Council of Tehran | 444,635 | N/A | 27th | Lost[19] |