With Congress victory in three states in the recently held assembly polls and the party leaders showering credit on their leader Sonia Gandhi, a smiling woman clad in sari showing a victory sign, she once again proved her metal of an astute politician who in 2004 general elections had single-handedly brought the oldest party to the power.
Determined, dynamic, daring are the words, which describe Sonia Gandhi outstandingly. She is the face of the modern woman in Indian politics. She has played a crucial role in all the major developments of the Congress party in the last decade. Women of strong will she has proved once again that the woman of today is capable of achieving the highest through her determination and confidence.
Although the victory in assembly polls were a true gift to her on her 62nd birthday on Dec 9, she decided not to celebrate in the wake of Mumbai terror attack, giving priority to the nation first.
Political graph
It won`t be an exaggeration if we call her a woman of substance: a woman who shed her image of a homemaker to bring her family’s beloved party back on the road to success. Her journey as Sonia Gandhi began when she married to Rajiv Gandhi the political heir to the Nehru Dynasty. An affair that started in Trinity College in the University of Cambridge, took a beautiful turn when they both decided to marry. Her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi in 1969 brought her to the home of the most powerful lady of that time, also her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi. Instantly, she became the favourite daughter-in-law of the household. She spent her pleasure time in reading books while her husband worked as a pilot thus it won`t be wrong if we call her a homemaker.
Her transition from a homemaker to that of the national party`s face was not abrupt and easy. Instead it was a path of challenges, which she accepted and substantiated. Twist came in her life when Rajiv Gandhi decided to join politics in order to assist her mother after the death of his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi in 1980. The decision was no less than a disappointment to Sonia who was ready to make her children beg rather than join politics. Her husband`s assassination in 1991 was a blow to her whole world. Her life was shattered and she concealed in her little world.
However, call of duty did not let her shut in for a long time. After grieving alone for nearly 6 years she joined the party as a minor member in the Calcutta Plenary Session in 1997 and eventually became party leader in 1998. This was a time when all the senior leaders like Narsimha Rao, Sitaram Kesari. IK Gujral had left Indian National Congress (INC) Party.
In the 1999 Lok Sabha polls she contested from two constituencies. One was Indira Gandhi`s constituency of Bellary, Karnataka where Sushma Swaraj stood against her while the other was RaeBareili, UP. She won however, her party lost and BJP regained power and she became the leader of the opposition.
Gradually 5 years passed and came the next 2004 Lok Sabha elections, which held many ground realities. During this period she deliberately transformed her image from that of a daughter-in-law to the `bahu` of the land. Where on one hand BJP was raising the slogan of `India shining` from their `Raths`, she went door to door to examine the situations in which the poor and the middle class were surviving. Her image left a deep impact on the masses. The result? She and her party swept votes under BJP`s nose and Congress was declared winner. Their `Hindutva` fundas left BJP sinking while Sonia emerged as a determined leader who managed to rescue her party`s ship from sinking.
Now this was a controversial period. After proving majority in the parliament next question was that who would be the PM? Her Italian origin of course was a big problem, which sparked intense debate and opposition. But she came out with a concrete decision i.e. not to take the post of PM. She could have easily accepted the post of the Prime Minister of India but declined the opportunity also known as renunciation. It was considered a political masterstroke by some while a foolish decision of a woman by many others. Well the answer was ambiguous at that time though now we all know her decision was for the best of her party. Manmohan Singh was considered for the key post of PM while the party command lied still in the hands of Sonia Gandhi. After sweeping the LS polls in 2004, she emerged as a natural winner for her party.
On 28th May 2005 Sonia Gandhi was elected as President of India's century-old Congress party, Indian National Congress by overwhelming support from across the country from all states.
She jumped into politics knowing that it would put what remained of her family back on terror groups’ radar. She substantiated that she has the will and courage of the Gandhi-Nehru family. Sonia has been able to command a national party with authority, being aware of the fact that several experienced leaders were there to ‘guide’ her.
Her most important decision was to bring Rahul Gandhi in the mainstream politics. By doing so, she established her son in place of her husband`s footsteps. This decision reflected another side of her determination that after loosing her whole family she allowed her son and daughter to join the big bad world of Indian politics. This was also seen as the beginning of the youth brigade in the Congress party, which nurtured youth leaders like Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Sindhiya, Jitin Prasada and many others.
Controversies
She resigned from Lok Sabha as been blamed under the Office of Profit controversy but later won again her constituency Raebareily defeating Vinay katiyar of BJP. Boforce Commission Scam …… claimed relations with the main accused Quattrochi.
It has been a long journey for Sonia Gandhi till date. But through her deliberate efforts and hard work she has managed to evolve out with flying colours.
Early years
Sonia Gandhi, earlier known as nee Maino, was born in a place called Ovassanjo, 80 km away from Turin, on Dec. 9, 1946. Born to Stefano and Paola Maino in Lusiana, a little village 20 km from Vicenza in the region of Venetia, Italy, she spent her adolescence in Orbassano, a town near Turin being raised in a Roman Catholic family and attending a Catholic school.
Her memorable quotes
Delhi February 13
"When I first came to Delhi in 1968, my father had given me a return ticket. But Delhi was the place of my second birth and the ticket, like my past, was lost in the mists of time."
Hyderabad February 16
"A month before he was assassinated, my husband said to me if an attempt was made to touch Babri Masjid, he would stand in front of it and they would have to kill him first."
Mohanlalganj February 8
"UP has been the karmabhoomi of my husband. He has been snatched away from me but nobody can snatch away his dream of a resurgent Bharat."
Bangalore January 15
"Six governments have come and gone -- five of them from the Opposition -- yet the complete truth on Bofors is not out. The day all the papers are made public, my husband will be vindicated."
“I've seen her fight the day my grandmother died. I've seen her fight the day my father died. And she has won. My mother is my hero."- Rahul Gandhi
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