Sonia Gandhi’s Birthday: Marking Sonia Gandhi’s birthday on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his greetings to the Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson and wished her a healthy and long life.
PM Modi shared his wishes on X, writing, “Birthday greetings to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji. May she be blessed with a long life and good health.”
Birthday greetings to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji. May she be blessed with a long life and good health.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 9, 2025
Sonia Gandhi: Journey of India’s Longest-Serving Congress President
Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress, stepped down from the post in 2017 and was succeeded by her son, Rahul Gandhi. Born on December 9, 1946, she grew up in Orbassano, Italy, in a Roman Catholic household with her parents, Stefano and Paola Maino, and her sisters, Nadia and Anoushka.
She moved to Cambridge, England, in 1964 to study English, where she met Rajiv Gandhi, then an engineering student. Their relationship grew, and the two married in 1968 in a Hindu ceremony. After marriage, Sonia shifted to the residence of her mother-in-law, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, stepping into the demanding world of Indian public life and politics.
Sonia Gandhi became Congress President in 1998, at a time when the party was struggling with internal issues and electoral setbacks, holding power in only three states including Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Mizoram. Under her leadership, the Congress revived, winning two back-to-back general elections and leading governments across 16 states during the 2000s, before facing setbacks after 2014.
She formally joined the Congress party in 1997 at the Calcutta plenary session. In the 1998 general elections, the Congress won 141 seats, a slight improvement over its previous tally. Within months of this result, Sonia Gandhi was elected Congress president, replacing Sitaram Kesri in what was often described as a bloodless coup.
However, her rise was not without controversy. In May 1999, senior leaders Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma, and Tariq Anwar questioned her foreign origin. Sonia briefly offered to resign, but overwhelming support within the party strengthened her position. The dispute eventually led to the formation of the Nationalist Congress Party.
Over the years, Sonia Gandhi transformed from a hesitant leader, known for her early speeches in a strong Italian-accented Hindi, into one of the Congress party’s most influential figures and a significant presence in national politics.
Citing age and health concerns, she announced that she would not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and would continue to support and guide the party under the leadership of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. She currently serves as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
(From the Inputs of IANS)
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
