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Friday, May 03, 2024
Journalism of Courage
Sonia Gandhi
INC
DOB
09 Dec 1946
Age
77 years
birth palce
Italy
profession
Politician
Sonia Gandhi biography
Sonia Gandhi, who stepped down as Congress president in 2017, was the longest-serving president of the country's oldest political party Indian National Congress. She was succeeded by her son Rahul Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi was born on December 9, 1946, to Stefano Maino, a building mason, and Paola Maino. She grew up Roman Catholic in Orbassano, a small town in Italy, with her sisters Nadia and Anoushka. In 1964, she went to Cambridge in England to study English, where she came across Rajiv Gandhi, who was studying engineering. The two fell in love, and in 1968, got married in a Hindu ceremony. Sonia then moved into the household of her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, entering the world of limelight, intrigue, and often, violence, that was India’s politics.
It was around 25 years ago that Sonia Gandhi first became the Congress president. When the reluctant politician first took over the reins of the party in 1998, the Congress was in disarray — two of its ‘natural’ leaders assassinated within a decade, fresh from a Lok Sabha election loss, and facing infighting and defections. It was in power in just three states: Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Mizoram. Under her, the party would go on to win two General Elections back to back and rule as many as 16 states at one point in the 2000s, before embarking on the ignominious slide since 2014.
Sonia became a member of the Congress party only in 1997 — at the plenary in Calcutta. In the 1998 polls, Congress won 141 seats, one more than the last time’s tally. Within months, Sonia was elected Congress president, Sitaram Kesri removed in a bloodless coup.
Not everyone was happy with her advancement though. In May 1999, three senior leaders, Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma, and Tariq Anwar, raised the issue of Sonia’s foreign origins. Sonia promptly offered to step away, there was a flood of support for her, and the row ended with the formation of the Nationalist Congress Party and the cementing of Sonia’s position. While Sonia’s initial foray into the political arena saw her read out speeches in a heavily accented Hindi, over the years, she eventually came to dominate not just the Congress, but the Indian political scene.
However, Soniya Gandhi has announced that she will be contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections due to her age and health issues, rather she will act as the guide to Mallikarjun Kharge the party president.
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Sonia Gandhi personal life
Spouse
Late Rajiv Gandhi
children
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi
netWorth
₹11,82,63,916
SONIA GANDHI NEWS
In Raebareli, BJP renominates minister who reduced Sonia win margin last time
May 03, 2024 5:13 am
A three-term MLC, Dinesh Pratap Singh is an MoS in the Yogi government.
Years after Sonia Gandhi took Nehru papers, PM museum set to seek view on ownership
April 19, 2024 11:10 pm
A consensus was then reached to seek legal opinion on issues such as “ownership, custodianship, copyright, and the use of these archival collections”.
Sonia: Intimidating Opposition, making them join BJP... democracy is in danger
April 07, 2024 5:13 am
Addressing a manifesto launch rally in Jaipur with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, her daughter Priyanka Gandhi and former CM Ashok Gehlot, Sonia Gandhi said, “You can't even dream of being bigger than the country, can anyone be bigger than the country?..."
Sonia Gandhi, Ashwini Vaishnaw, among 14 sworn in as RS members
April 04, 2024 2:52 pm
While Sonia Gandhi took oath as a member of the Upper House from Rajasthan, Vaishnaw was sworn in as a member of the same house from Odisha.
Delhi Confidential: Praise, Forgiveness
April 02, 2024 4:25 am
The party on Monday put out a short video of Sonia Gandhi at the Ramlila Maidan, including glimpses of her with Sunita Kejriwal, on its official social media handles with a caption “forgiveness is the virtue of the brave.
Kangana Ranaut-Supriya Shrinate row to Sonia Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee: The character assassination of women
March 27, 2024 7:40 pm
Women newsmakers from popular culture around the globe face harsher judgement while pursuing politics as parties chase them for their representational value rather than what they can do
As Shiv Sena (UBT) has its way on Sangli Lok Sabha seat, local Congress leaders to approach Sonia Gandhi
March 28, 2024 4:21 am
Local Congress leaders from Sangli are upset with the Shiv Sena (UBT) for declaring that wrestler Chandrahar Patil will contest the seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Watch: Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi’s wedding video resurfaces; netizens react
March 25, 2024 1:25 pm
Reports say Rajiv Gandhi was 23 when he tied the knot with the 21-year-old Sonia Maino.
In rare presser with Kharge and Rahul, Sonia Gandhi alleges ‘systematic effort by PM to cripple Congress financially’
March 22, 2024 5:00 am
While raising the freezing of Congress's bank accounts, Rahul Gandhi said there is no democracy in India and that neither the courts nor other institutions say anything about it.
Danish Ali meets Sonia, may contest from Amroha
March 15, 2024 4:28 am
Incidentally, as part of its arrangement with the SP, the Congress is set to contest Amroha. Ali has been active on the ground in anticipation.
SONIA GANDHI PHOTOS
'Stop jhula diplomacy': Opposition party leaders corner govt on China incursions
December 21, 2022 2:54 pm
Opposition parties, led by Congress MPs Sonia Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, on Wednesday staged a protest at the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex, demanding a discussion over the border issue with China.
In Photos: Sonia Gandhi joins Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka’s Mandya district
October 06, 2022 2:26 pm
Sonia Gandhi arrived in Mysuru on Monday and offered prayers at a temple in the H D Kote Assembly segment on Wednesday on the occasion of Vijayadashami.
In pictures: Ghulam Nabi Azad's over 4-decade journey with the Congress
August 26, 2022 2:47 pm
Azad was a member of the Congress Working Committee and a member of the Sonia Gandhi-headed political affairs group. (Express Archive)
Congress leaders pay tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on his 78th birth anniversary
August 20, 2022 11:32 am
Congress out in full force to protest price rise, unemployment and GST
August 05, 2022 2:06 pm
Congress interim president & MP Sonia Gandhi leads protest of party MPs against inflation and unemployment, in Parliament. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)
Rahul Gandhi leads Congress protest against price rise, ED
July 26, 2022 7:34 pm
The protesters stated that the money laundering case is “false” and no FIR has been lodged yet.
'Stop misuse by ED': Congress protests as Sonia Gandhi appears before agency for questioning in National Herald case
July 21, 2022 12:22 pm
Before Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi had been summoned by the ED for questioning in the National Herald case. Then, too, the Congress had staged protests.
Ambedkar Jayanti: People across nation, party lines pay homage to Babasaheb
April 14, 2022 9:54 pm
Leaders like Narendra Modi, JP Nadda, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati, Nitish Kumar and many more celebrate the 131st birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb BR Ambedkar.
IE 100 2022: List of most powerful Indians
April 21, 2022 10:24 am
As the PM now for eight years, Modi remains disruptor-in-chief with a regularity that expands his presence and crimps his critics. Yogi Adityanath towers over the horizon, having entered the top five Sangh Parivar club. He ranks just after Mukesh Ambani.
With Assembly polls battle over, celebrations, stock-taking in political parties
March 13, 2022 9:05 pm
Punjab CM-designate Bhagwant Mann, along with AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, held a victory roadshow in Amritsar on Sunday to mark their spectacular win in Punjab elections.
SONIA GANDHI VIDEOS
Priyanka Gandhi takes a political Plunge, appointed Congress in-charge of UP East
June 22, 2020 6:04 pm
Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress Wednesday appointed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as general secretary of Uttar Pradesh East. She will take charge in the second week of February.
Express Eye for Detail 16: What went wrong in Bulandshahr, Christian Michel’s role in AgustaWestland scam and more
June 22, 2020 6:08 pm
This week we look at how UP got to a place where mob violence that spiralled out of control got a police officer killed, why the extradition of Christian Michel is a political hot potato & how a WhatsApp video ruined a woman’s life in Kerela.
Tall claims, empty boasts, falsification of facts not for him: Sonia Gandhi on Manmohan Singh
June 22, 2020 6:10 pm
Presenting former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh with the 2017 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, disarmament & development, UPA Chairperson appeared to take a dig at the current dispensation through her praise for Dr Singh.
Want a dialogue with all parties to settle the Ayodhya dispute, says union minister Uma Bharti
June 22, 2020 6:12 pm
Union Minister Uma Bharti has said that leaders across party lines must come together and sort out the Ayodhya dispute through dialogue. She also said that those in the government want to build a temple at the disputed site but will need support from
Photos Of the Day: 84th Plenary Session Of The Indian National Congress
June 22, 2020 6:26 pm
“The party’s victory will be the nation’s victory, it will be the victory for each one of us. Congress is not a political term, it is a movement,” Sonia Gandhi said.
5 States, 1 Script: Congress Leaders Do Not Listen
June 08, 2016 7:00 pm
Sonia Gandhi & Manmohan Singh Arrested During Congress's ‘Save Democracy’ March
May 07, 2016 6:22 pm
Don't target PM Modi unnecessarily: Naidu
February 25, 2016 4:21 pm
New Delhi, Feb 25 (ANI): Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday targeted the Congress, saying that the grand old party, which has been tolerated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for so many decades, should also tolerate the saffron party for at least ten years. Naidu said that the Congress was unnecessarily targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said unlike past governments where the prime minister (Manmohan Singh) presides and madam (Sonia Gandhi) decides, the BJP-led Government was working collectively in which Prime Minister Modi presides and the team decides.
Shah should not lecture Congress on nationalism: Sibal
February 15, 2016 4:24 pm
New Delhi, Feb 15 (ANI): Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday rubbished Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah’s comment on the Jawaharlal Nehru University row, saying he did not have the stature to lecture Congress president Sonia Gandhi or vice president Rahul Gandhi on the issue of nationalism. Sibal said instead of dealing with the university students in the way that they should be dealt with, the BJP was busy proving that they were criminals. Sibal further stated that India is no more under British rule and added that Amit Shah and PM Modi cannot stop these young children from speaking their minds.
National Herald case: Sonia, Rahul exempted from personal appearance
February 12, 2016 10:13 am
New Delhi, Feb 12 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday refused to quash the trail court proceedings against the five Congress leaders but exempted party president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi from personal appearance. Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Sighvi, who is fighting the Herald case for Gandhi’s, expressed his delight and said that it is a big relief for the family, as every inference and conclusion in the High Court has been rendered inoperative. He further added that every point argued in the High Court has been left open for them by the apex court to argue again at the stage of framing charges.
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