Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the "most powerful politician" in the country though she is not the prime minister, senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee said in Kolkata on Thursday.
"She is the most powerful politician in the country today because of her sacrifice and leadership of high order. She is not in power. She is not the prime minister," Mukherjee said in his address at a convention of the party's women wing.
Recalling that Gandhi had renounced the office of the prime minister, he said the Congress has emerged stronger under her leadership.
"Under her leadership and the leadership of Manmohan Singh the Congress has emerged stronger in this year's Lok Sabha elections. "The Congress has increased its strength in the Lok Sabha from 147 seats in 2004 to 206 seats this time. And, it is for the first time in 21 years a Congress-led government has managed to retain power for a second consequtive terms," he said. Mukherjee said Gandhi had sought votes for the Congress based on the UPA government's performance and the people reposed faith in the party.
Gandhi, he said, has also emerged as "the embodiment of women's power" which was reflected in supporting Pratibha Patil and Meera Kumar to become the President and Lok Sabha Speaker respectively. PTI
