Sonia Gandhi is truly one of the most popular Indian women, who with her amazing grace anointed as the queen of sacrifice. The way by which she declined the post of the Prime Minister of India has proved her to be true Indian. She, is the course, became the first-ever person to decline the post of the PM, and amazed the whole world. As an as true politician, she claims she was always clear in her mind that she would not accept the post of Prime Minister even if it came her way.
Born at the small town of Orbassano, near Turin, Italy in 1946, Sonia Maino was sent to Cambridge, UK to study English where in 1965, she met Rajiv Gandhi which resulted in their marriage. It gave her the honour of becoming a part of a great Indian family. Now they started leading a happy life, away from politics. Rajiv was an Indian Airlines pilot, and politics remained limited to his mother Indira and younger brother Sanjay.
After the death of Sanjay, Rajiv joined Indian politics. Yet Sonia was at the back of it. The circumstances made Rajiv the Prime Minister of India after Indira. Sonia helped Rajiv in his job. Later in 1989 elections, Rajiv was voted out. During the next election campaigns in 1991, he was trying to make a comeback at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, when he was killed so tragically on May 21, 1991. It was really a great shock to the family.
Sonia had to start a new chapter o her life, a life without Rajiv. She was preferred to remain an Indian.
She remained outside Congress politics till 1998. However, gradually, after '1 years of Congress primary membership, she was elected the Congress president in 1998. Her record as Congress president in the last six years is a saa of success on one hand, and tension on the other. Not being part of the factional and personality strifes in the party, she was able to function as a catalyst to unite the party. She led the party to electoral victorie in many states. However, she could regain people's confidence over her party. And finally her party was in position to form gvt. At the
Centre and she was to become the Prime Minister. But she declined this highest Parliamentary post. It symbolizes her sense of sacrifice.
For a long time she had the image of a sphinx, cold, aloof clueless to tackle India and Indianans. She was just the lady who would stand beside the funeral pyres of her beloved ones. But her slow and steady rise has won the race and proved her to be a highly matured and without any self for the whole society.
