Ms. Sonia Gandhi
President, Indian National Congress & Chairperson, United Progressive Alliance

The now dual chief of the 113 year-old Indian National Congress and its Parliamentary party, Ms. Sonia Gandhi was born in Italy to a modest family on Dec 9, 1946 and was later married into the Nehru-Gandhi family in 1968, with her simple wedding to Mr. Rajiv Gandhi.

Ms. Gandhi secured the position of the Party President of India’s century old Congress party in 2005, joining a league of illustrious past presidents and upholding family tradition. She is the third woman of foreign origin to hold this prestigious post after Annie Beasant and Nelli Sengupta. Ms. Sonia Gandhi is also the fifth member of the Nehru family to take over the reins of Congress.

In fact, Ms. Gandhi was averse to politics for long before she decided to become a part of active politics just before the 1998 Lok Sabha elections and assumed the helm of the Congress Party. She campaigned for the Congress in last year’s Lok Sabha elections. The party, which was forecast to display a lukewarm performance, managed a surprise victory and came to power at the center.

Ms. Gandhi then was unanimously elected to lead the 19-member coalition government, christened, United Progressive Alliance (UPA). She declined the post of Prime Minister (PM) after her party’s victory and instead, suggested noted economist, Dr. Manmohan Singh for taking over the Prime Minister’s seat. However, she continues to be the leader of the majority and Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

Ms. Gandhi has authored two books - 'Rajiv' and 'Rajiv’s World'. In addition, she has also edited 'Freedom’s Daughter' and 'Two Alone, Two Together' (two volumes of letters exchanged between Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi from 1922 to 1964).