Sonia Gandhi (Hindi:[ˈsoːnɪjaːˈɡaːndʱiː],Italian:[ˈsɔːnjaˈɡandi];néeMaino[ˈmaino]; born 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician. She is the longest-serving president of theIndian 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 theassassination of Rajiv Gandhi, her husband and a formerPrime Minister of India, and remained in office until 2017 after serving for twenty-two years.[a] She returned to the post as interim president in 2019 and remained the President for another three years until 2022.
Born in a small village nearVicenza, Italy, Gandhi was raised in aRoman Catholic family. After completing her primary education at local schools, she moved for language classes toCambridge, England, where she metRajiv 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'sNew Delhi residence. Sonia Gandhi, however, kept away from thepublic 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 forparty president.[b] Under her leadership, the Congress went on to form the government post the2004 elections in coalition with other centre-left political parties. Gandhi has since been credited for being instrumental in formulating theUnited Progressive Alliance (UPA), which was re-elected to power in2009. Gandhi declined the premiership following the 2004 victory; she instead led the ruling alliance and theNational Advisory Council.[c]
Over the course of her career, Gandhi presided over the advisory councils credited for the formation and subsequent implementation of suchrights-based development and welfare schemes as theRight to Information,Food Security Bill, andMGNREGA, as she drew criticism related to theNational Herald case during theManmohan Singh premiership. Her foreign birth has also been a subject of much debate and controversy.[d] Gandhi's active participation in politics began to reduce during the latter half of theUPA 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 anypublic office in thegovernment of India, Gandhi has often been cited among the most powerful women in the world and has had considerable influence in Indian politics, especially during the UPA governments and in leading the Congress party.[e]
Early life
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 inLusiana (in Maini street),[19] a historicallyCimbrian-speaking village about 35 km fromVicenza inVeneto,Italy.[20][21] She was one of three siblings: Sonia, Nadia and Anoushka,[22] raised in a traditionalRoman Catholic Christian family.[19] Sonia spent her adolescence inOrbassano, a town nearTurin. 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".[19]
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 aflight attendant.[19] In 1964, she went to study English at theBell Educational Trust's language school in the city ofCambridge.[25] The following year, she metRajiv Gandhi at the Varsity Restaurant, where she was working as a part-time waitress, while he was enrolled for an engineering degree in theTrinity College at theUniversity of Cambridge.[26][27] In this context, theTimes, 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".[28] The couple married in 1968, in aHindu ceremony, following which she moved into the house of her mother-in-law and then Prime Minister,Indira Gandhi.[29][8]
The couple had two children,Rahul Gandhi (born 1970) andPriyanka Vadra (born 1972). Despite belonging to the influentialNehru 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 magazineDharmyug, "She [Indira] showered me with all her affection and love".[30] Soon after the latter's ousting from office in 1977 in the aftermath of theIndian Emergency, the Rajiv family contemplated moving abroad for a short time.[31] When Rajiv entered politics in 1982 after the death of his younger brotherSanjay Gandhi in a plane crash on 23 June 1980, Sonia continued to focus on her family and avoided all contact with the public.[32]
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.[33]
In 1984, she actively campaigned against her husband's sister-in-lawManeka Gandhi who was running against Rajiv inAmethi. At the end of Rajiv Gandhi's five years in office, theBofors 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.[34] 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.[35][36] Her party asserted that the documents presented by the BJP as proof of voter fraud were forged, due to their use of the term "National Capital Territory" which was not an official term until the 69th amendment to the Indian Constitution which took effect in 1992, 9 years after she gained Indian citizenship.[37][38]
Former senior Congress leader and formerPresident of IndiaPranab Mukherjee said that she surrendered her Italian passport to the Italian Embassy on 27 April 1983.[39]Italian nationality law did not permit dual nationality until 1992. So, by acquiring Indian citizenship on 30 April 1983,[40][41] she would automatically have lost Italian citizenship.[42]
Political debut and Congress presidency (1991–1998)
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.[7][45]
In May 1999, three senior leaders of the party (Sharad Pawar,P. A. Sangma, andTariq 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 theNationalist Congress Party.[46][47]
Within 62 days of joining as a primary member, she was offered the party President post which she accepted.[48]
She contested Lok Sabha elections fromBellary, Karnataka andAmethi, Uttar Pradesh in 1999. She won both seats but chose to represent Amethi.[49] In Bellary, she had defeated veteran BJP leader,Sushma Swaraj.[50][51]
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (1999–2003)
When the BJP-led NDA formed a government underAtal Bihari Vajpayee, she took the office of the Leader of the Opposition. In 2000, she defeatedJitendra Prasada by a huge margin of 97% in the Congress President Election.[53] 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.[54]
Electoral success and NAC chairmanship (2004–2014)
In the2004 general elections, Gandhi launched a nationwide campaign, crisscrossing the country on theAam Aadmi (ordinary man) slogan in contrast to the 'India Shining' slogan of the BJP-ledNational 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 theRae Bareli constituency.[55] Following the unexpected defeat of the NDA, she was widely expected to be the nextPrime Minister of India. On 16 May, she was unanimously chosen to lead acoalition government of 15 parties supported by the left, and it was subsequently named asUnited Progressive Alliance (UPA).[56]
The defeated NDA protested once again about her 'foreign origin' and senior NDA leaderSushma Swaraj threatened to shave her head and "sleep on the ground", among other things, should Sonia become prime minister.[14]
The NDA claimed that there were legal reasons that barred her from the Prime Minister's post.[57]
They pointed, in particular, to Section 5 of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955, which they claimed implied 'reciprocity'. This was contested by others[36] and eventually the suits were dismissed by theSupreme Court of India.[58]
A few days after the election, Gandhi recommendedManmohan Singh as her choice as prime minister, which the party leaders accepted. Her supporters compared it to the old Indian tradition ofrenunciation,[59] while her opponents attacked it as a political stunt.[60]
On 23 March 2006, Gandhi announced her resignation from the Lok Sabha and also as chairperson of theNational 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.[61] She was re-elected from her constituency Rae Bareli in May 2006 by a margin of over 400,000 votes.[62][63]
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.[66]
Under her leadership, the Congress-led UPA won a decisive majority in the 2009 general elections withManmohan Singh as the Prime Minister.[67] The Congress itself won 206 Lok Sabha seats, which was then the highest total by any party since 1991.[68] She was re-elected to a third term as a member of parliament representing Rae Bareli.[69]
In 2013, Gandhi became the first person to serve as Congress President for 15 years consecutively.[70] In the same year, Gandhi condemned the Supreme Court judgement supportingSection 377 of the Indian Penal Code and backed LGBT rights.[71]
Leaving active politics and Rajya Sabha (2014–present)
In the2014 general election, she held her seat in Rae Bareli.[72] 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.[73][74][75]
When Rahul Gandhi was expected to take over as Congress president,Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaderSitaram Yechury picked Sonia over Rahul, calling her the "glue that binds the opposition"[76] during an interview November 2017. Rahul took over as the 49th Congress president on 16 December 2017.[77][78]
Gandhi returned to active politics for the Indian National Congress' campaign for the2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election. Having stayed away from campaigning for elections since 2016, Gandhi addressed a rally atBijapur, 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.[79][80] Gandhi also played an active role in orchestrating a post-poll alliance with theJanata Dal (Secular).[81]
Rahul Gandhi, taking responsibility for Congress party's second consecutive loss ingeneral 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.[82][83]
Following her appointment, Gandhi undertook a restructuring of the Congress' state units and appointedKumari Selja andEknath 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.[84][85]
In February 2020, Gandhi held a press conference where she demanded that Home MinisterAmit Shah should resign for failing to stop theNorth East Delhi riots. She asked for the deployment of an adequate number of security forces.[86] In 2022, it was reported that Sonia Gandhi supported Rajasthan CMAshok Gehlot for Congress president to lead in thenext Indian general election.[87] But, Gehlot did not contest the election and Gandhi loyalistMallikarjun Kharge elected as the new Congress president, defeating non-loyalistShashi Tharoor.
In February 2024, Sonia Gandhi opted out of the2024 Indian general election citing health and age-related issues.[88] Gandhi filed her nomination to contest for the2024 Rajya Sabha elections fromRajasthan to succeed retiring MP Manmohan Singh. During the nomination filing, she was accompanied byRahul 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.[89]
In 2025, followingIsrael's attack on Iran, Sonia Gandhi emphasised that the Indian government's silence regarding Israel's actions was a departure from "moral and strategic traditions." The leader of the Indian National Congress Party expressed in an editorial in The Hindu newspaper that Israel's attacks on Iran on 13 June were "illegal" and constituted a "violation of Iranian sovereignty."[92] In September 2025, she criticised the friendly relationship between Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, and the Indian government's silence on thegenocide in Gaza.[93]
According to anaffidavit filed during the2014 Indian general election, Gandhi had declared assets worth₹9.28 crore (US$1.52 million), with₹2.81 crore (US$460,000) in movable and₹6.47 crore (US$1.06 million) 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 frombook value tomarket value for asset valuation.[96]
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.[97]
Gandhi was seen as the most powerful politician of India from 2004 to 2014,[98] and variously listed among the most powerful people and women listings by magazines.[17][99]
In 2013, Sonia Gandhi was ranked 21st among world's most powerful and 9th most powerful woman byForbes Magazine.[100]
In 2007, she was named thethird most powerful woman in the world by the same magazine[101] and was ranked 6th in exclusive list in 2007.[102]
In 2010, Gandhi was ranked as the ninth most powerful person on the planet byForbes magazine.[103][104][105] She was ranked 12 in 2012 in Forbes' powerful people list.[106][107][108]
Sonia was also named among theTime100 most influential people in the world for 2007[109] and 2008.[110]New Statesman listed Sonia Gandhi at number 29 in their annual survey of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures" in 2010.[111]
^Bhattacharya, Tathagata (16 August 2019)."Sonia Gandhi: the best bet".National Herald.Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved6 June 2024.
^Pioneer News Service."Whose inner voice?". CMYK Multimedia Pvt. Ltd. Archived fromthe original on 9 April 2007. Retrieved20 July 2007.
