Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi (born Sonia Antonia Maino, 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician who served as the President of the Indian National Congress (INC) from 1998 to 2017, making her one of the longest-serving party presidents in Indian history. Born in Orbassano, Italy, she married Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 and became one of the most powerful political figures in India despite never holding any government office. Sonia came to India after marrying Rajiv Gandhi, the grandson of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and son of Indira Gandhi. After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991, Sonia stayed away from politics for several years, focusing on raising her children Rahul and Priyanka. In 1997, she formally joined the Congress party and was elected its president in 1998. As Congress President, Sonia Gandhi led the party to victory in the 2004 general elections, ending the BJP's six-year rule. She became the Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the National Advisory Council, wielding significant influence over policy-making without holding any official government position. Under her leadership, the UPA government implemented landmark legislation including the Right to Information Act, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), and the Right to Education Act. Despite being offered the Prime Ministership in 2004, Sonia declined, choosing instead to appoint Manmohan Singh as PM while maintaining influence as party president. She was named among Forbes' and TIME's most powerful women for many consecutive years. In 2017, she stepped down as Congress President after nearly two decades, passing the baton to her son Rahul. She was later elected to the Rajya Sabha (upper house) in 2024. Sonia Gandhi's contribution to Indian politics, particularly in empowering rural India through social welfare legislation, remains significant.