Sonia Gandhi’s PM Story: Can an Autobiography Rewrite History?

Autobiographies often present the author’s life in the best possible light. Difficult decisions become sacrifices and political setbacks are sometimes turned into stories of personal conviction. Sonia Gandhi’s account of why she declined the Prime Minister’s post in 2004 has once again brought that tendency into focus.

In her autobiography, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia Gandhi recalls that she never wanted to become Prime Minister. She says she had made this clear to Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi even before the 2004 elections. According to her, both children were worried about the security risks because of the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

She further claims that after the UPA victory, Congress leaders and alliance partners pressured her for over an hour to accept the post. Even after she initially agreed, Rahul reportedly questioned her decision. Sonia says she eventually followed her conscience and chose not to become Prime Minister. She then proposed Manmohan Singh for the post.

However, this version leaves out an important part of the political history surrounding that decision.

Sonia was not an ordinary party leader in 2004. She was the Congress president and the central figure behind the UPA alliance. Her foreign origin had become a major political issue. Senior Congress leaders Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar had earlier challenged her leadership on this very question and were expelled from the party. BJP leaders, including Sushma Swaraj and Uma Bharti, also strongly opposed the possibility of her becoming Prime Minister.

The controversy over her foreign origin and political opposition were real factors in the situation. Her decision came amid intense political pressure and public scrutiny. It is therefore difficult to view it only as a personal choice driven by conscience.

Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister, but Sonia Gandhi remained the most influential figure in the UPA government for its ten-year tenure. Her political influence was evident in several major decisions, including the creation of Telangana, which Congress leaders in the state continue to credit her for.

Sonia is entitled to present her version of events in her autobiography. But an account written years later cannot erase the political circumstances of 2004.