Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi (Template:IPA, Template:IPA; Template:Née Template:IPA; born 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician. She is the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress, a big-tent liberal political party, which has governed India for most of its post-independence history. She took over as the party leader in 1998, seven years after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, her husband and a former Prime Minister of India, and remained in office until 2017 after serving for twenty-two years.Template:Efn She returned to the post as interim president in 2019 and remained the President for another three years.

Born in a small village near Vicenza, Italy, Gandhi was raised in a Roman Catholic family. After completing her primary education at local schools, she moved for language classes to Cambridge, England, where she met Rajiv Gandhi, and later married him in 1968. She then moved to India and started living with her mother-in-law, the then-Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, at the latter's New Delhi residence. Sonia Gandhi, however, kept away from the public sphere, even during the years of her husband's premiership.

Following her husband's assassination, Gandhi was invited by Congress leaders to lead the party, but she declined. She agreed to join politics in 1997 after much pleading from the party; the following year, she was nominated for party president.Template:Efn Under her leadership, the Congress went on to form the government post the 2004 elections in coalition with other centre-left political parties. Gandhi has since been credited for being instrumental in formulating the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which was re-elected to power in 2009. Gandhi declined the premiership following the 2004 victory; she instead led the ruling alliance and the National Advisory Council.Template:Efn

Over the course of her career, Gandhi presided over the advisory councils credited for the formation and subsequent implementation of such rights-based development and welfare schemes as the Right to Information, Food Security Bill, and MGNREGA, as she drew criticism related to the National Herald case during the Manmohan Singh premiership. Her foreign birth has also been a subject of much debate and controversy.Template:Efn Gandhi's active participation in politics began to reduce during the latter half of the UPA government's second term owing to health concerns. She stepped down as the Congress president in December 2017 but returned to lead the party in August 2019.

Although she has not held any public office in the government of India, Gandhi has been widely described as one of the most powerful politicians in the country, and is often listed among the most powerful women in the world.Template:Efn

Early life

File:Sonia Gandhi birthplace.JPG

Sonia Gandhi's birthplace, 31, Contrada Maini (Maini street), Lusiana, Italy (the house on the right)

Sonia Maino was born on 9 December 1946 to Stefano and Paola Maino in Lusiana (in Maini street),<ref name="vera">Template:Cite web</ref> a historically Cimbrian-speaking village about 35 km from Vicenza in Veneto, Italy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was one of three siblings: Sonia, Nadia and Anoushka,<ref name="laiq" /> raised in a traditional Roman Catholic Christian family.<ref name="vera" /> Sonia spent her adolescence in Orbassano, a town near Turin. She attained primary education attending the local Catholic schools; one of her early teachers described her as "a diligent little girl, [who] studied as much as was necessary".<ref name="vera" />

Stefano, who was a building mason, established a small construction business in Orbassano.<ref name="laiq">Template:Cite web</ref> It is alleged that in an interview with Jawid Laiq published in Outlook in 1998 Stefano claimed that he had fought against the Soviet military alongside Hitler's Wehrmacht on the eastern front in World War II, and that he was a loyal supporter of Benito Mussolini and Italy's National Fascist Party. As per the said article, the family house had leather bound books on writings and speeches of Mussolini.<ref name="laiq"/> Stefano had named Sonia and her elder sister Nadia in the memory of the Italian participation in the Eastern Front.<ref name="vera"/> He died in 1983.<ref>In Maino land Template:Webarchive; retrieved 23 March 2007.</ref> Gandhi has two sisters who still reside in Orbassano.<ref>Italy heralds 'first woman PM' Template:Webarchive; retrieved 18 July 2007.</ref>

Gandhi completed her schooling at the age of 13; her final report card read: "intelligent, diligent, committed [...] would succeed well at the high school for teachers". She aspired to become a flight attendant.<ref name="vera"/> In 1964, she went to study English at the Bell Educational Trust's language school in the city of Cambridge.<ref>How a waitress became a world leader Template:Webarchive The Times. May 17, 2004. Glen Owen and Nick Meo.</ref> The following year, she met Rajiv Gandhi at the Varsity Restaurant, where she was working as a part-time waitress, while he was enrolled for an engineering degree in the Trinity College at the University of Cambridge.<ref name="Singh2011">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="time-s">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In this context, the Times, London reported, "Mrs Gandhi was an 18-year-old student at a small language college in Cambridge in 1965, [...] when she met a handsome young engineering student".<ref>Template:Citation</ref> The couple married in 1968, in a Hindu ceremony, following which she moved into the house of her mother-in-law and then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="BBC Profile 2014"/>

The couple had two children, Rahul Gandhi (born 1970) and Priyanka Vadra (born 1972). Despite belonging to the influential Nehru family, Sonia and Rajiv avoided all involvement in politics. Rajiv worked as an airline pilot while Sonia took care of her family. She spent considerable amount of time with her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi; she recalled her experience in a 1985 interview with the Hindi-language magazine Dharmyug, "She [Indira] showered me with all her affection and love".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Soon after the latter's ousting from office in 1977 in the aftermath of the Indian Emergency, the Rajiv family contemplated moving abroad for a short time.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> When Rajiv entered politics in 1982 after the death of his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi in a plane crash on 23 June 1980, Sonia continued to focus on her family and avoided all contact with the public.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political career

Rajiv Gandhi's premiership (1984–1990)

File:President Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Rajiv Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi.jpg

40th president of the United States Ronald Reagan, Sonia Gandhi, First Lady Nancy Reagan and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, during a state dinner for Prime Minister Gandhi. June 1985

Sonia Gandhi's involvement with Indian public life began after the assassination of her mother-in-law and her husband's election as prime minister. As the prime minister's wife she acted as his official hostess and also accompanied him on a number of state visits.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1984, she actively campaigned against her husband's sister-in-law Maneka Gandhi who was running against Rajiv in Amethi. At the end of Rajiv Gandhi's five years in office, the Bofors scandal broke out. Ottavio Quattrocchi, an Italian businessman believed to be involved, was said to be a friend of Sonia Gandhi, having access to the Prime Minister's official residence.<ref>Who is Quattrocchi? Template:Webarchive Retrieved 23 March 2007.</ref> The BJP has alleged that she appeared on the voters' list in New Delhi prior to obtaining Indian citizenship in April 1983, in contravention of Indian law.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="hinduonnet.com"/>

Former senior Congress leader and former President of India Pranab Mukherjee said that she surrendered her Italian passport to the Italian Embassy on 27 April 1983.<ref name="Citizenship">Template:Cite web</ref> Italian nationality law did not permit dual nationality until 1992. So, by acquiring Indian citizenship on 30 April 1983,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> she would automatically have lost Italian citizenship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political debut and Congress presidency (1991–1998)

After Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 and Sonia Gandhi refused<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> to succeed him as the Congress president and prime minister, the party settled on the choice of P. V. Narasimha Rao who subsequently became Prime Minister after winning elections that year. Over the next few years, however, the Congress fortunes continued to dwindle and it lost the 1996 elections. Several senior leaders such as Madhavrao Sindhia, Rajesh Pilot, Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Arjun Singh, Mamata Banerjee, G. K. Moopanar, P. Chidambaram and Jayanthi Natarajan were in open revolt against incumbent President Sitaram Kesri and many of whom quit the party, splitting the Congress into many factions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In an effort to revive the party's sagging fortunes, she joined the Congress Party as a primary member in the Calcutta Plenary Session in 1997 and became party leader in 1998.<ref name=elections.in/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In May 1999, three senior leaders of the party (Sharad Pawar, P. A. Sangma, and Tariq Anwar) challenged her right to try to become India's Prime Minister because of her foreign origins. In response, she offered to resign as party leader, resulting in an outpouring of support and the expulsion from the party of the three rebels who went on to form the Nationalist Congress Party.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Within 62 days of joining as a primary member, she was offered the party President post which she accepted.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

She contested Lok Sabha elections from Bellary, Karnataka and Amethi, Uttar Pradesh in 1999. She won both seats but chose to represent Amethi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In Bellary, she had defeated veteran BJP leader, Sushma Swaraj.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (1999–2003)

File:Soniac.jpg

Sonia Gandhi as leader of opposition meeting with 42nd president of the United States Bill Clinton in 2000.

She was elected the Leader of the Opposition of the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

When the BJP-led NDA formed a government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she took the office of the Leader of the Opposition. In 2000, she defeated Jitendra Prasada by a huge margin of 97% in the Congress President Election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She had been repeatedly selected for the position without any election being held. As Leader of the Opposition, she called a no-confidence motion against the NDA government led by Vajpayee in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Electoral success and NAC chairmanship (2004–2014)

File:The Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, Smt. Sonia Gandhi calls on the President of the USA, Mr. George W Bush in New Delhi on March 2, 2006.jpg

Sonia Gandhi as NAC Chair meeting with 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush in 2006

In the 2004 general elections, Gandhi launched a nationwide campaign, crisscrossing the country on the Aam Aadmi (ordinary man) slogan in contrast to the 'India Shining' slogan of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance. She countered the BJP asking "Who is India Shining for?". In the election, she was re-elected by a 200,000-vote margin over her nearest rival, in the Rae Bareli.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the unexpected defeat of the NDA, she was widely expected to be the next Prime Minister of India. On 16 May, she was unanimously chosen to lead a coalition government of 15 parties supported by the left, and it was subsequently named as United Progressive Alliance (UPA).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The defeated NDA protested once again about her 'foreign origin' and senior NDA leader Sushma Swaraj threatened to shave her head and "sleep on the ground", among other things, should Sonia become prime minister.<ref name="autogenerated1">Religioscope: India: politics of renunciation, traditional and modern – Analysis Template:Webarchive; retrieved 9 December 2011.</ref>

The NDA claimed that there were legal reasons that barred her from the Prime Minister's post.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

They pointed, in particular, to Section 5 of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955, which they claimed implied 'reciprocity'. This was contested by others<ref name="hinduonnet.com">Template:Cite journal</ref> and eventually the suits were dismissed by the Supreme Court of India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A few days after the election, Gandhi recommended Manmohan Singh as her choice as prime minister, which the party leaders accepted. Her supporters compared it to the old Indian tradition of renunciation,<ref name="BBC">Template:Cite news</ref> while her opponents attacked it as a political stunt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Manmohan Singh and his wife Smt. Gursharan Kaur with the Chairperson, UPA and National Advisory Council, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, at an Iftar party, hosted by the Prime Minister, in New Delhi on September 08, 2010.jpg

Sonia Gandhi with 13th Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur at an Iftar party in New Delhi in 2010

On 23 March 2006, Gandhi announced her resignation from the Lok Sabha and also as chairperson of the National Advisory Council under the office-of-profit controversy and the speculation that the government was planning to bring an ordinance to exempt the post of chairperson of National Advisory Council from the purview of office of profit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was re-elected from her constituency Rae Bareli in May 2006 by a margin of over 400,000 votes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As chairperson of the National Advisory Committee and the UPA, she played an important role in making the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Right to Information Act into law.<ref>Employment Bill not a populist measure: Sonia Template:Webarchive; retrieved 13 July 2007.</ref><ref>After RTI success, it's right to work Template:Webarchive; retrieved 13 July 2007.</ref>

She addressed the United Nations on 2 October 2007, Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary which is observed as the international day of non-violence after a UN resolution passed on 15 July 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Under her leadership, the Congress-led UPA won a decisive majority in the 2009 general elections with Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Congress itself won 206 Lok Sabha seats, which was then the highest total by any party since 1991.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was re-elected to a third term as a member of parliament representing Rae Bareli.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2013, Gandhi became the first person to serve as Congress President for 15 years consecutively.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the same year, Gandhi condemned the Supreme Court judgement supporting Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and backed LGBT rights.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Leaving active politics and Rajya Sabha (2014–present)

In the 2014 general election, she held her seat in Rae Bareli.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, the Indian National Congress and the Congress-led UPA electoral alliance suffered their worst result in a general election ever, winning only 44 and 59 seats respectively.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:The Chairperson, National Advisory Council, Smt. Sonia Gandhi with the King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Bhutan Queen, Her Majesty Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, in New Delhi on January 07, 2014.jpg

Sonia Gandhi with King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema in 2014.

When Rahul Gandhi was expected to take over as Congress president, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury picked Sonia over Rahul, calling her the "glue that binds the opposition"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> during an interview November 2017. Rahul took over as the 49th Congress president on 16 December 2017.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Gandhi returned to active politics for the Indian National Congress' campaign for the 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election. Having stayed away from campaigning for elections since 2016, Gandhi addressed a rally at Bijapur, which comprised five legislative assembly constituencies; while Congress emerged as the second largest party in the election with 78 seats behind the BJP, the former won four or the five assembly seats from Bijapur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gandhi also played an active role in orchestrating a post-poll alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Rahul Gandhi, taking responsibility for Congress party's second consecutive loss in general elections held in 2019, resigned from the post of President on 25 May. Following the resignation, party leaders began deliberations for a suitable candidate to replace him. The Congress Working Committee met on 10 August to take a final call on the matter and passed a resolution asking Sonia Gandhi to take over as interim president until a consensus candidate could be picked.<ref name="2019 president">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Following her appointment, Gandhi undertook a restructuring of the Congress' state units and appointed Kumari Selja and Eknath Gaikwad as the presidents of the party's Haryana and Mumbai units. Several other changes were also made in the party's organisational units in states slated for elections including Haryana, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2020, Gandhi held a press conference where she demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah should resign for failing to stop the North East Delhi riots. She asked for the deployment of an adequate number of security forces.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2022, it was reported that Sonia Gandhi supported Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot for Congress president to lead in the next Indian general election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> But, Gehlot did not contest the election and Gandhi loyalist Mallikarjun Kharge elected as the new Congress president, defeating non-loyalist Shashi Tharoor.

In February 2024, Sonia Gandhi opted out of the 2024 Indian general election citing health and age-related issues.<ref name="mint 2024">Template:Cite web</ref> Gandhi filed her nomination to contest for the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan to succeed retiring MP Manmohan Singh. During the nomination filing, she was accompanied by Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot and other senior members of the party. Sonia Gandhi was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on 20 February 2024 and took the oath in April.<ref name="Sonia Gandhi elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan">Template:Cite news</ref>

On 15 April 2025, the Enforcement Directorate filed a chargesheet against her in connection with the National Herald case.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Sonia is the widow of Rajiv Gandhi, elder son of Indira Gandhi. She has two children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, who both serve as Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha.

In August 2011, she underwent successful surgery for cervical cancer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in the United States at Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York.<ref>"Sonia returns after surgery" Template:Webarchive, Indian Express (9 September 2011); retrieved 12 July 2017.</ref> She returned to India on 9 September after her treatment.

According to an affidavit filed during the 2014 Indian general election, Gandhi had declared assets worth Template:INRConvert, with Template:INRConvert in movable and Template:INRConvert in immovable properties. This was an almost six-fold increase since her declaration in the last election in 2009; party officials attributed this to a switch from book value to market value for asset valuation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Gandhi's mother, Paola Maino, died due to an illness at her home in Italy on 27 August 2022, at the age of about 90.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Electoral history

Year	Election	Party		Constituency Name	Result	Votes gained	Vote share%
1999	13th Lok Sabha	rowspan="7" style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	INC	Amethi	Template:Won	4,18,960	67.12%
		Bellary		Template:Won	4,14,650	51.70%
2004	14th Lok Sabha	Rae Bareli		Template:Won	378,107	58.75%
2006		Rae Bareli		Template:Won	4,74,891	80.49%
2009	15th Lok Sabha	Rae Bareli		Template:Won	4,81,490	72.23%
2014	16th Lok Sabha	Rae Bareli		Template:Won	5,26,434	63.80%
2019	17th Lok Sabha	Rae Bareli		Template:Won	5,34,918	55.80%

Honours and recognition

Gandhi was seen as the most powerful politician of India from 2004 to 2014,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and variously listed among the most powerful people and women listings by magazines.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="SandbrookGüven2014">Template:Cite book</ref>

In 2013, Sonia Gandhi was ranked 21st among world's most powerful and 9th most powerful woman by Forbes Magazine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2007, she was named the third most powerful woman in the world by the same magazine<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was ranked 6th in exclusive list in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2010, Gandhi was ranked as the ninth most powerful person on the planet by Forbes magazine.<ref>In Maino land Template:Webarchive; retrieved 23 March 2010.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was ranked 12 in 2012 in Forbes' powerful people list.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sonia was also named among the Time 100 most influential people in the world for 2007<ref>Sonia Gandhi among Time's 100 for 2007 Template:Webarchive; retrieved 14 May 2007.</ref> and 2008.<ref>Sonia Gandhi among Time's 100 for 2008 Template:Webarchive; retrieved 1 May 2008.</ref> New Statesman listed Sonia Gandhi at number 29 in their annual survey of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures" in 2010.<ref name="htanna">Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	Name	Awarding organisation	Ref.
2008	Honorary Doctorate (Literature)	University of Madras	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2006	Order of King Leopold	Government of Belgium	<ref name="Belgium honours Sonia Gandhi">Template:Cite web</ref>
2006	Honorary Doctorate	Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels University)	<ref name="Belgium honours Sonia Gandhi"/><ref name="Belgium Sonia Gandhi">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Vrije Universiteit Brussel Sonia Gandhi">Template:Cite web</ref>

Bibliography

• Sonia Gandhi – An Extraordinary Life, An Indian Destiny (2011), a biography written by Rani Singh.
• Sonia Gandhi: Tryst with India by Nurul Islam Sarkar.
• The Red Sari: A Dramatized Biography of Sonia Gandhi (El Sari Rojo) by Javier Moro
• Sonia: A Biography by Rasheed Kidwai<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Accidental Prime Minister by Sanjaya Baru, 2014

See also

• Political families of India
• Spouse of the prime minister of India
• List of spouses of national leaders born abroad

Further reading

• S. R. et al. Vakshi (1998) Sonia Gandhi, The President of AICC South Asia Books. Template:ISBN
• Rupa Chaterjee (1999) Sonia Gandhi: The Lady in Shadow Butala. Template:ISBN
• C. Rupa, Rupa Chaterjee (2000) Sonia Mystique South Asia Books. Template:ISBN
• Moro, Javier "El sari rojo" (Ed. Seix Barral, 2008) "Il sari rosso" (Il Saggiatore, 2009)

External links

• Profile at Lok Sabha, Parliament of India
• Official page on Indian National Congress website

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