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Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, citing her new book 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', wrote in a post on
In his book, he has recalled many moments of that period, which are being discussed a lot.
In fact, after Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister in 2004, there was a big change in the political equation of the country.
At that time Sonia Gandhi was leading the Congress and there was also discussion going on that Sonia Gandhi could become the Prime Minister of the country.
At that time many Congress workers wanted to see him as the Prime Minister. On the other hand, BJP, which was voted out of power in the elections, and many of its leaders were opposing this.
After rejecting the post of Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi had also said at that time that she had taken this decision on the basis of “conscience”.
However, even after Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister, many leaders of BJP and the then opposition kept alleging that the UPA government was running from 10 Janpath i.e. Sonia Gandhi's residence.
Sonia Gandhi was the chairperson of UPA during the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh.
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During that time, the National Advisory Council was also formed to give advice on social and economic development works and policies, which was headed by Sonia Gandhi.
However, Sonia Gandhi has clearly denied that she had any interference in the functioning of the government.
According to a news in the English newspaper Hindustan Times, Sonia Gandhi has commented on many equations of power during that time in her book 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' and has said that she was never shown the government file.
'The allegations of asking for the file are false'
Image source, RAVEENDRAN/AFP via Getty Images
According to Hindustan Times, Sonia Gandhi has said in her memories that during the time of UPA, there was a clear distribution of power, in which Manmohan Singh was running the government and she was leading the Congress.
Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has told in her memoirs in 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' that during the time of United Progressive Alliance (UPA), she was never shown government files.
He said that he gave his inputs on forming the government so that those who had been serving the party for years could be taken care of.
But he says that the allegations made by him about asking for files from the PMO were "ill-conceived and completely false".
According to Hindustan Times, she also told in the book that she along with her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had decided a few months before the results of the 2004 general elections that she would never become the Prime Minister, the children insisted on this due to security reasons.
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According to the English newspaper India Express, Sonia Gandhi wrote, "A few months before the elections, my children and I had talked about my becoming Prime Minister. One of them asked me directly whether I would accept the post if our party won. I said 'Absolutely not.' "I said it almost angrily."
"He pressed me, 'Are you sure?' and I insisted, 'I am very clear. Neither Rahul nor Priyanka thought I should be Prime Minister. They had been through the trauma of their grandmother's murder and the brutal murder of their father. In their minds, being in that position was actually associated with increased risk. They were relieved and I was also feeling relieved, because I had expressed my views on this question out loud for the first time.'
According to the Indian Express, Sonia Gandhi has written, "During the entire election, whenever I was asked the question in public as to who would be the Prime Minister, I did not give any definite answer. I just knew from within that the person carrying forward the legacy of the previous Congress governments should be someone who has long experience in government and an impeccable record of integrity."
What happened after the 2004 Lok Sabha election results came out?
Image source, SEBASTIAN D'SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images
According to Hindustan Times, Sonia Gandhi has also written about a tense Congress meeting held in Shimla in July 2003.
At that time there was disagreement within the party regarding forming an alliance with other allies. During this time he found himself out of this discussion.
She writes, "I asked what they were discussing. With some hesitation I got the answer that they were discussing who would lead the party in the elections."
Shocked Sonia Gandhi says she is "saddened" that her party colleagues considered her an outsider and gave the message that as Congress president she will lead the election campaign.
But under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, Congress gave a big blow to BJP in the elections. The defeat of the BJP-led NDA in the 2004 elections surprised many people. Especially BJP was not expecting such a result which would oust it from power.
At that time the NDA government had given slogans of 'India Shining' and 'Feel Good'. Amidst these slogans, Lok Sabha elections were held about six months before the scheduled time and BJP had played this big gamble.
His move was a complete failure, but now it was the turn of Congress and its President Sonia Gandhi to be tested. On one hand, BJP was raising the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin, on the other hand, after Sonia Gandhi took over the leadership of Congress, the party came close to power at the Center for the first time.
According to the Indian Express, about the situation after the results of the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Sonia Gandhi writes in her book, "Now I was confused. To those party workers who would be sad and disappointed by my refusal, and also to those people who had given us their votes. My emotions were changing every moment. One minute I was clear, the next moment I was confused."
"A meeting was scheduled with the leaders of the Alliance. They were to come to my house the next afternoon. They had assured my fellow leaders that they would convince me. The next day, a meeting was going on with some of the leaders of the Alliance in Rajiv's conference room at the far end of my house. They were asking me to agree to their proposal. As soon as the discussion was over, I mustered up the courage to speak."
"There was an uproar among them. They stood up and moved towards me. I also stood up. They surrounded me. One of them said, 'We will not accept this.' The other said, 'Madam, you cannot take this decision.'"
"His tone was forceful, almost angry. 'We will not obey.' I was shaken. I felt that someone had overpowered me. I murmured softly, 'Okay.' The gathered leaders don't even wait for me to finish speaking. They start congratulating me one by one."
"'She has agreed, she has agreed,' someone says. I just stand there, numb. I can't say anything further. The leaders go away satisfied."
According to Indian Express, Sonia Gandhi has mentioned the reaction of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi after this in her book.
Sonia Gandhi writes, "Rahul roared, 'You said yes?' I replied, 'They will not listen to me. I don't want to do it, you know I don't want to. Pressure was being put on me. He asked, 'You are being pressurized and what about us?' He left with an angry face."
Sonia Gandhi wrote, "Priyanka said, 'Look, mother, you have always been clear about this. Don't force it. Do what you have decided.' His eyes were red and I felt like crying too."
According to the Indian Express, Sonia Gandhi wrote, "It was coming to my mind again and again that my actions would have far-reaching consequences, not just for my party, but for the whole of India. We needed a strong and capable government, so that India could be kept away from divisive politics. More than anything, we needed development and progress."
"I entered politics with the belief that if the BJP, run by the RSS and its hard-line factions, came to power, it would promote conflict between communities and destroy the Constitution."
Sonia Gandhi writes, "I knew very well that if I agreed, the noise they were making and the propaganda they had spread during the election campaign would not diminish. The BJP and its allies would definitely use my 'foreign origin' as an issue. They would inflame emotions and create such a disaster that would overshadow everything good in the past and the coming years. How could I agree to hold the post of Prime Minister? No, never."
What was written about Pranab Mukherjee
Former President Pranab Mukherjee and his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee have earlier also pointed out that the Gandhi family was hesitant in making him the Prime Minister, even though he was the senior most minister in the UPA cabinet.
According to Hindustan Times, Sonia Gandhi has told in her book that in 2010, a year after the UPA came back to power, Mukherjee had suggested her to change the Prime Minister.
She wrote in the book, "He surprised me by suggesting that perhaps it was time for a change at the top. I took this as a sign of his long-held desire to become Prime Minister. I gently changed the subject. Although he may have been disappointed, he never let me feel that he had anything against me."
Published by Collective Newsroom for the BBC.
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