Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi (?????? ?????) (born December 9, 1946), is an Italian-born Indian politician, the president of the Indian National Congress (Congress Party) and the widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. She is currently the chairwoman of the ruling United Progressive Alliance in the Lok Sabha. She was named the third most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine, next to Condoleezza Rice and Wu Yi in the year 2004. She did not find a place in the list for the year 2005.http://www.forbes.com/lists/2004/08/18/04powomland.html.

Role in Indian politics

Following her husband's assassination on May 21, 1991, there were calls for her to enter politics by members of the Congress Party, mainly due to the presumption that being led by a member of the Nehru family was an electoral asset for the party. After her refusal, the party settled on the choice of P V Narasimha Rao as leader and, subsequently, Prime Minister. She finally entered politics just before the 1998 national election. Even with the charisma of the family name behind her, her party fared poorly in the elections, and number of seats won dropped from the number in the previous house. However, her opponents (chiefly the Bharatiya Janata Party) constantly played up her foreign birth, her declining to take up Indian citizenship for 15 years after her marriage, and her lack of fluency in Hindi.

Related Topics:
Assassination - May 21 - 1991 - Nehru family - P V Narasimha Rao - 1998 - Bharatiya Janata Party - Hindi

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She was elected the Leader of the Opposition of the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999, and in the 2004 election launched an aggressive campaign to unseat the ruling National Democratic Alliance. She had been tipped to be the next Prime Minister of India following her party's surprise victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha election. On May 16 she was unanimously voted to lead a 19-party coalition government which was subsequently named the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Related Topics:
Leader of the Opposition - Lok Sabha - 1999 - 2004 - National Democratic Alliance - Prime Minister of India - 2004 Lok Sabha election - May 16 - Coalition government

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A storm of controversy emerged following her party's victory, as the possibility of a foreign-born Prime Minister caused many (especially amongst the BJP's supporters) to agitate against Sonia. Many prominent leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had been voted out of power in the elections, threatened to launch a nationwide agitation if Sonia became the Prime Minister. They alleged that she was not only a foreigner but also a political novice with no experience in public life. A prominent drama-queen, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, even threatened to shave her head if Sonia became Prime Minister. However, on May 18, a day before her scheduled inauguration, she showed that she was no political novice by declining the Prime Minister's post. She cited personal reasons (Atma Prabodha) for doing the same. This served three purposes: first, it robbed the Bharatiya Janata Party of an issue to agitate against; second, it won the leftist media, and, thirdly and most importantly, it laid the political foundation for her son Rahul Gandhi, who she hopes will someday become Prime Minister. Sonia renounced the Prime Minister's post in an extremely dramatic situation, and suggested noted economist Manmohan Singh for the Prime Minister's post, despite pleas by members of the Congress party for Gandhi to reverse her decision. But Sonia remains at the post of the Leader of the Majority, which she has kept to herself for controlling the Prime minister, and the Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (all Congress MPs). Many of her critics openly accuse her of being the power behind the throne, and nowadays call her the Super Prime Minister, but it is probably true that she exercises great policy influence, and is instrumental in all issues and affairs of keeping the coalition together.

Related Topics:
Controversy - Bharatiya Janata Party - Prime Minister - May 18 - Manmohan Singh

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Her lone figure, tragic story (the violent deaths of her husband and mother-in-law left her the sole guardian of her young children, all this while being a foreigner in a foreign land) and her eventual triumph have left her a "God-mother" figure to many people in the country.

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Gandhi has authored two books: 'Rajiv' and 'Rajiv’s World'. In addition, she has also edited 'Freedom’s Daughter' and 'Two Alone, Two Together' (two volumes of letters exchanged between Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi from 1922 to 1964).

Related Topics:
Jawaharlal Nehru - Indira Gandhi - 1922 - 1964

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