Sonia Gandhi Birthday: Sonia was all set to become PM in 2004 but Subramanian Swamy didn’t let that happen
Sonia Gandhi Birthday: Former Indian National Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi celebrates her birthday today. Known as the adhesive for the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi is arguably one of the most powerful women in the country. She was featured in the Forbes list of the 100 most powerful women. Today on her birthday, we are bringing you one of the biggest highlights of her life when she almost became the Prime Minister of India. We will tell you why even after having a majority Sonia Gandhi couldn’t become the Prime Minister of India.
When Sonia nominated Manmohan Singh for PM’s post
When Sonia-led UPA got the majority with Congress emerging as the single-largest party in the 2004 General Election, we all assumed that Sonia Gandhi would become the Prime Minister. After all, they had defeated Vajpayee-era BJP’s ‘India Shining’ campaign claims. But the drama that unfolded afterwards was uncalled, unprecedented and never witnessed before.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan had even prepared a letter appointing Sonia Gandhi as the Prime Minister. But the President’s office had to change the name as Sonia Gandhi told then-President APJ Abdul Kalam that she had nominated Dr Manmohan Singh for the post.
Why didn’t Sonia Gandhi opt to become the Prime Minister?
While Indian National Congress party members and other leaders from UPA were pressing the reluctant politician Sonia Gandhi to stake the claim to the office of Prime Minister, she was held back by various leaders from the opposition who threatened to challenge her appointment through constitutional and legal means.
When Subrimanian Swamy Challenged Sonia’s citizenship
The then Janta Party leader Subramanian Swamy, who was also a former Rajya Sabha member from BJP, challenged Gandhi’s nomination He claimed that her Indian citizenship was flawed and suspect as she hadn’t given up her Italian citizenship. According to the RTI filed by Delhi-based activist Subhash Agarwal, Swamy in his letter to the President said that Sonia Gandhi couldn’t be made the Prime Minister according to the provisions in the Citizenship Act. The letter also said that Dr Subramanian Swamy will challenge the decision in court.
When Shushma Swaraj threatened to go bald
Another BJP leader, Late Shushma Swaraj had said that she would ‘shave her head’ and leave politics if Sonia Gandhi became the Prime Minister.
Sonia Gandhi when came to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to stake a claim on the Prime Minister’s office, Dr. Manmohan Singh was accompanying her. The President was surprised as, for whatever reasons and arguments, Sonia named Dr Manmohan Singh as the candidate for PM.
Dr Manmohan Singh, who is credited for economic reform in 1991, was sworn in as the PM in 2004. However, the opposition alleged that while the economist-turned-PM was the front of the PM office, Congress and UPA Chief Sonia Gandhi were actually calling the shots.
“It is here that I will breathe my last breath”
One of the speeches of Sonia Gandhi ji that made me very emotional.
She deserves all the love & respect for standing for her family, this country & the people ❤️
A very happy birthday to you Ma’am ❤️ pic.twitter.com/oVoe066jfH
— Dis’Qualified Darshni (@angrybirdtweetz) December 8, 2022
Sonia Gandhi had taken off to Jaipur, on way to Ranthambore, where she will celebrate her 76th birthday with her children, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, at a resort owned by a close friend of the family.
The birthday celebration comes as Congress is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh after it won 40 seats in the state which alternated between the BJP and the Congress every election.
Edit- Ayushi Mittal
