Sonia Gandhi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sonia Gandhi
Gandhi in 2014
Parliamentary Chair of the Indian National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office October 1999
Preceded by	Sharad Pawar
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 April 2024 (2024-04-03)
Preceded by	Manmohan Singh
Constituency	Rajasthan
President of the Indian National Congress
Interim
In office 10 August 2019 (2019-08-10) – 26 October 2022 (2022-10-26)
Preceded by	Rahul Gandhi
Succeeded by	Mallikarjun Kharge
In office 14 March 1998 (1998-03-14) – 16 December 2017 (2017-12-16)
Vice President	Rahul Gandhi (from 2013)
Preceded by	Sitaram Kesri
Succeeded by	Rahul Gandhi
Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance
In office 6 May 2004 (2004-05-06) – 18 July 2023 (2023-07-18)
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Chairperson of the National Advisory Council
In office 29 March 2010 – 25 May 2014
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
In office 4 June 2004 – 23 March 2006
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha
In office 13 October 1999 – 6 February 2004
Preceded by	Sharad Pawar
Succeeded by	L. K. Advani
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 17 May 2004 – 2 April 2024
Preceded by	Satish Sharma
Succeeded by	Rahul Gandhi
Constituency	Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh
In office 10 October 1999 – 17 May 2004
Preceded by	Sanjay Singh
Succeeded by	Rahul Gandhi
Constituency	Amethi, Uttar Pradesh
Spouse of the Prime Minister of India
In role 31 October 1984 – 2 December 1989
Prime Minister	Rajiv Gandhi
Preceded by	Gayatri Devi
Succeeded by	Sita Kumari Singh
Personal details
Born	(1946-12-09) 9 December 1946 (age 78) Lusiana, Veneto, Italy
Citizenship	Italy (1946–1983) India (1983–present)
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Rajiv Gandhi ​ ​ (m. 1968; died 1991)​
Children	Rahul Gandhi (son) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (daughter)
Relatives	See Nehru–Gandhi family
Residences	12, Tughlaq Lane, New Delhi, Delhi, India
Alma mater	Bell Educational Trust
Occupation	Politician
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Sonia Gandhi (born 9 December 1946) is an important Indian politician. She was the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress, a major political party in India. This party has led India for most of its history since it became independent.

She became the party leader in 1998. This was seven years after her husband, Rajiv Gandhi, who was a former Prime Minister of India, passed away. She remained in this role until 2017, serving for 22 years. She returned to lead the party again in 2019 and stayed President for another three years.

Sonia Gandhi was born in a small village in Italy. She grew up in a Roman Catholic family. After finishing school, she went to England to study languages. There, she met Rajiv Gandhi. They got married in 1968.

She then moved to India. She lived with her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister at the time. Sonia Gandhi preferred to stay out of the public eye. She did this even when her husband was the Prime Minister.

After her husband's death, leaders from the Congress party asked her to lead them. She first said no. But after they asked many times, she agreed to join politics in 1997. The next year, she was chosen to be the party president.

Under her leadership, the Congress party formed the government after the 2004 elections. They worked with other political parties. Sonia Gandhi helped create the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). This group was re-elected in 2009. She chose not to become Prime Minister in 2004. Instead, she led the ruling group and the National Advisory Council.

During her career, Sonia Gandhi helped create important laws. These included the Right to Information and the MGNREGA. These laws helped people get information and jobs. She has been called one of the most powerful politicians in India. She is also often listed among the most powerful women in the world.

Early Life and Family

Sonia Gandhi's birthplace in Lusiana, Italy.

Sonia Maino was born on 9 December 1946. Her parents were Stefano and Paola Maino. She was born in a village called Lusiana in Italy. She had two sisters, Nadia and Anoushka. They grew up in a Christian family. Sonia spent her teenage years in Orbassano, a town near Turin. She went to local Catholic schools. Her teachers said she was a hardworking student.

Her father, Stefano, was a builder. He started a small construction business. He had fought in World War II. He was a supporter of Benito Mussolini. He named Sonia and her older sister Nadia in memory of Italian soldiers. He passed away in 1983. Sonia Gandhi's two sisters still live in Orbassano.

Sonia finished school at 13. She wanted to become a flight attendant. In 1964, she went to study English in Cambridge, England. The next year, she met Rajiv Gandhi at a restaurant. She was working there part-time. He was studying engineering at the University of Cambridge.

They got married in 1968 in a Hindu ceremony. After that, she moved to India. She lived with her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister.

Sonia and Rajiv had two children: Rahul Gandhi (born 1970) and Priyanka Vadra (born 1972). Even though they were part of the famous Nehru–Gandhi family, Sonia and Rajiv stayed out of politics. Rajiv worked as an airline pilot. Sonia focused on her family.

Sonia spent a lot of time with Indira Gandhi. She said in an interview that Indira gave her much love. After Indira Gandhi lost power in 1977, the family thought about moving abroad. When Rajiv entered politics in 1982, Sonia continued to focus on her family. She avoided public life.

Her Journey in Politics

Joining Politics (1991–1998)

Sonia Gandhi with US President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in 1985.

Sonia Gandhi became involved in public life after her mother-in-law was assassinated. Her husband, Rajiv, then became Prime Minister. As the Prime Minister's wife, she hosted official guests. She also traveled with him on many state visits.

In 1984, she campaigned against her husband's sister-in-law, Maneka Gandhi. Maneka was running against Rajiv in an election.

After Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991, Sonia Gandhi was asked to become the Congress president and Prime Minister. She refused. The party then chose P. V. Narasimha Rao as Prime Minister.

Over the next few years, the Congress party faced difficulties. They lost the 1996 elections. Many senior leaders left the party. To help the party, Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress Party in 1997. She became the party leader in 1998.

In 1999, some senior party leaders questioned her right to become Prime Minister because she was born outside India. She offered to resign as party leader. But many people supported her, and the leaders who questioned her were removed from the party.

She ran for elections in two places in 1999: Bellary and Amethi. She won both seats. She chose to represent Amethi.

Leader of the Opposition (1999–2003)

Sonia Gandhi meeting with US President Bill Clinton in 2000.

In 1999, she was chosen as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. This is the main house of the Indian Parliament.

When the BJP party formed the government, she took on this role. In 2000, she won the Congress President Election by a very large margin. She had often been chosen for this role without an election. As Leader of the Opposition, she called for a vote against the government in 2003.

Leading the United Progressive Alliance (2004–2014)

Sonia Gandhi meeting with US President George W. Bush in 2006.

In the 2004 general elections, Sonia Gandhi led a big campaign across India. Her slogan was Aam Aadmi, meaning "ordinary man." This was different from the BJP's slogan, "India Shining." She asked, "Who is India Shining for?" She won her election seat by a large number of votes.

After the BJP unexpectedly lost, many thought she would be the next Prime Minister. On 16 May, she was chosen to lead a group of 15 parties. This group was called the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Some people protested her becoming Prime Minister because she was born in Italy. But she chose Manmohan Singh to be Prime Minister instead. Her supporters saw this as a selfless act.

Sonia Gandhi with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2010.

On 23 March 2006, Sonia Gandhi resigned from Parliament. She also resigned as chairperson of the National Advisory Council. She was re-elected from her area in May 2006 by a huge number of votes.

As chairperson of the National Advisory Committee and the UPA, she helped make important laws. These included the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Right to Information Act.

She spoke at the United Nations on 2 October 2007. This day is Mahatma Gandhi's birthday and is now the International Day of Non-Violence.

Under her leadership, the Congress-led UPA won many seats in the 2009 elections. Manmohan Singh continued as Prime Minister. The Congress party won the most seats since 1991. She was re-elected for her third term as a Member of Parliament.

In 2013, Sonia Gandhi became the first person to be Congress President for 15 years in a row. In the same year, she supported equal rights for all people.

Later Political Years (2014–Present)

Sonia Gandhi with the King and Queen of Bhutan in 2014.

In the 2014 elections, she kept her seat in Rae Bareli. However, the Congress party and the UPA had their worst election results ever. They won only a few seats.

Rahul Gandhi was expected to become Congress president. But some leaders felt Sonia Gandhi was still important. Rahul became the 49th Congress president on 16 December 2017.

Sonia Gandhi returned to active politics for the 2018 Karnataka elections. She had not campaigned much since 2016. She gave a speech in Bijapur. The Congress party became the second largest party in that election. Sonia Gandhi also helped form an alliance with another party after the election.

Rahul Gandhi resigned as President in May 2019 after the party lost the general elections again. On 10 August, the party asked Sonia Gandhi to become the interim president.

After this, she made changes to the Congress party's state units. She appointed new leaders in different states.

In February 2020, Sonia Gandhi asked for the Home Minister to resign. She said he failed to stop riots in Delhi. She asked for more security forces to be sent. In 2022, she supported Ashok Gehlot for Congress president. But he did not run. Instead, Mallikarjun Kharge was elected as the new Congress president.

In February 2024, Sonia Gandhi decided not to run in the 2024 general election due to her health and age. She filed her nomination to run for the Rajya Sabha (another part of Parliament) from Rajasthan. She was elected without opposition on 20 February 2024. She took her oath in April.

Personal Life

Sonia Gandhi is the widow of Rajiv Gandhi. He was the older son of Indira Gandhi. She has two children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Both of them are also Members of Parliament.

In August 2011, she had successful surgery for cancer in the United States. She returned to India in September after her treatment.

In 2014, she stated her assets were worth about 9.28 crore Indian Rupees. This was a large increase from 2009. Party officials said this was because the value of her assets was calculated differently.

Sonia Gandhi's mother, Paola Maino, passed away in Italy on 27 August 2022. She was about 90 years old.

Electoral History

Honours and Recognition

Sonia Gandhi was seen as India's most powerful politician from 2004 to 2014. She was often listed among the most powerful people and women by magazines.

In 2013, Forbes Magazine ranked Sonia Gandhi as the 21st most powerful person in the world. She was the 9th most powerful woman.

In 2007, the same magazine named her the third most powerful woman in the world. She was ranked 6th in an exclusive list that year.

In 2010, Forbes magazine ranked Gandhi as the ninth most powerful person on the planet. She was ranked 12th in 2012 on Forbes' powerful people list.

Time magazine also named Sonia among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007 and 2008. New Statesman listed Sonia Gandhi at number 29 in their survey of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures" in 2010.

See also

• Political families of India