Editing Indian National Congress (section)

=== Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh era (1998–2014) ===
[[File:The President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam authorizing the Prime Minister designate Dr. Manmohan Singh to form the next Government in New Delhi on May 19, 2004.jpg|thumb|250px|right|11th [[President of India]] [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]] authorizing the Prime Minister designate [[Manmohan Singh]] to form the next Government in New Delhi on 19 May 2004.]]
The [[1998 Indian general election|1998 general elections]] saw Congress win 141 seats in the Lok Sabha, its lowest tally until then.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2145_98.htm|title=India Parliamentary Chamber: Lok Sabha|website=[[Inter-Parliamentary Union]]|access-date=4 March 2018}}</ref> To boost its popularity and improve its performance in the forthcoming election, Congress leaders urged [[Sonia Gandhi]], Rajiv Gandhi's widow, to assume leadership of the party.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/01/31/another-gandhi-comes-to-congress-partys-aid/6dd58f02-b8d2-4a1e-b6ee-32e6f26cefcf/|title=Another Gandhi Comes to Congress Party's Aid|last=Cooper|first=Kenneth J.|date=31 January 1998|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> She had previously declined offers to become actively involved in party affairs and had stayed away from politics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19950131-sonia-gandhi-emerges-as-cynosure-of-all-eyes-could-play-pivotal-role-in-party-politics-808336-1995-01-31|title=Sonia Gandhi emerges as cynosure of all eyes, could play pivotal role in party politics|first1=M. |last1=Rahman|date=31 January 1995|website=India Today}}</ref> After her election as party leader, a section of the party that objected to the choice because of her Italian ethnicity broke away and formed the [[Nationalist Congress Party]] (NCP), led by [[Sharad Pawar]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/21/world/congress-party-expels-3-who-opposed-gandhi.html|title=Congress Party Expels 3 Who Opposed Gandhi|first=Celia W.|last=Dugger|newspaper=The New York Times |date=21 May 1999}}</ref>

Sonia Gandhi struggled to revive the party in her early years as its president; she was under continuous scrutiny for her foreign birth and lack of political acumen. In the snap elections called by the [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]] (NDA) government in [[1999 Indian general election|1999]], Congress' tally further plummeted to just 114 seats.<ref name="negi" /> Although the leadership structure was unaltered as the party campaigned strongly in the assembly elections that followed, Gandhi began to make such strategic changes as abandoning the party's 1998 Pachmarhi resolution of ''ekla chalo'' (go it alone) policy, and formed alliances with other like-minded parties. In the intervening years, the party was successful at various legislative assembly elections; at one point, Congress ruled 15 states.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hindustantimes.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-s-19-years-as-congress-president-from-husband-rajiv-s-death-to-son-rahul-s-elevation/story-nmW3hNiG2zDo6abGYc38YO.html|title=Sonia Gandhi's 19 years as Congress president: From husband death to son Rahul's elevation|last=Naqshbandi|first=Aurangzeb|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=16 December 2017|date=4 March 2018}}</ref> For the [[2004 Indian general election|2004 general election]], Congress forged alliances with regional parties including the NCP and the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/election/2004/may/14congress.htm|title=The mathematics of politics|work=[[Rediff.com]]|access-date=4 March 2018|date=16 May 2004}}</ref> The party's campaign emphasised social inclusion and the welfare of the common masses{{emdash}}an ideology that Gandhi herself endorsed for Congress during her presidency{{emdash}}with slogans such as {{lang|hi|Congress ka haath, aam aadmi ke saath}} ("Congress hand in hand with the common man"), contrasting with the NDA's "[[India Shining]]" campaign.<ref name="negi">{{cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/politics/sonia-gandhis-legacy-she-reinvented-herself-to-fight-off-challenges-but-also-had-her-share-of-failures-1606229.html|title=Sonia Gandhi's Legacy: She Reinvented Herself to Fight Off Challenges but also Had Her Share of Failures|last=Negi|first=Saroj|website=[[India Today]]|access-date=2 March 2018|date=16 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/sonia-gandhi-congress-president-rahul-gandhi-politics-4983911/|title=Sonia Gandhi retires as Congress president, to remain active in politics|work=[[The Indian Express]]|date=15 December 2017|access-date=15 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/as-sonia-gandhi-makes-way-4984673/ |title=As Sonia Gandhi makes way|last=Chowdhary|first=Neerja|work=[[The Indian Express]]|date=16 December 2017|access-date=19 December 2017}}</ref> The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won 222 seats in the new parliament, defeating the NDA by a substantial margin. With the subsequent support of the communist front, Congress won a majority and formed a new government.<ref name="Naqshbandi">{{cite news|url=http://m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-s-19-years-as-congress-president-from-husband-rajiv-s-death-to-son-rahul-s-elevation/story-nmW3hNiG2zDo6abGYc38YO.html |title=Sonia Gandhi's 19 years as Congress president: From husband Rajiv's death to son Rahul's elevation|last=Naqshbandi|first=Aurangzeb|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|date=16 December 2017|access-date=20 December 2017}}</ref>

Despite massive support from within the party, Gandhi declined the post of prime minister, choosing to appoint [[Manmohan Singh]] instead.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-election-gandhi/sonia-gandhi-keeps-congress-hopes-alive-in-india-polls-idUSTRE53D1XH20090414 |title=Sonia Gandhi keeps Congress hopes alive in India polls|last=Chandra|first=Rina|work=Reuters|date=14 April 2009|access-date=19 December 2017}}</ref> She remained as party president and headed the [[National Advisory Council]] (NAC).<ref>{{cite news|title=Hands-on influence for Sonia Gandhi as NAC head|url=http://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/bwgztbqFBjfiC4WnGGye3H/Handson-influence-for-Sonia-Gandhi-as-NAC-head.html|access-date=17 August 2016|last=Mathew|first=Liz|work=Mint|date=30 March 2010}}</ref> During its first term in office, the UPA government passed several social reform bills. These included an [[Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act|employment guarantee]] bill, the [[Right to Information Act]], and a [[Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act|right to education]] act. The NAC, as well as [[Left Front (West Bengal)|the Left Front]] that supported the government from the outside, were widely seen as being the driving force behind such legislation. The Left Front withdrew its support of the government over disagreements about the [[U.S.–India Civil Nuclear Agreement]]. Despite the effective loss of 62 seats in parliament, the government survived the trust vote that followed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Manmohan survives trust vote|url=http://specials.indiatoday.com/trustvote/|work=India Today|access-date=6 January 2014}}</ref>

In the [[2009 Indian general election|Lok Sabha elections held soon after]], Congress won 207 seats, the highest tally of any party since 1991. The UPA won 262, enabling it to form a government for the second time. The social welfare policies of the first UPA government, and the perceived divisiveness of the BJP, are broadly credited with the victory.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bidwai|first=Praful|title=Reading the Verdict|url=http://www.frontline.in/navigation/?type=static&page=archiveSearch&aid=20090619261209100&ais=12&avol=26|work=Frontline|access-date=6 January 2014}}</ref>