Sonia Gandhi is an Indian politician of Italian descent. By way of her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi, she is a member of the Nehru–Gandhi family. She was a former president of the Congress party. In 1998, she took over as the party leader and remained in office for a record nineteen years. Under her leadership, the party formed the government post the 2004 elections. She has since been credited for being instrumental in formulating the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). After the 2004 victory, Gandhi declined the premiership and instead led the ruling alliance and the National Advisory Council. In 2009, UPA was re-elected to power. Her foreign birth has been a subject of much debate and controversy. In December 2017, she stepped down as the Congress president. Sonia Gandhi has been widely described as one of the most powerful politicians in the country. She is also listed among the most powerful women in the world. Early life: She was born in a small village near Vicenza, Italy and was raised in a Roman Catholic Christian family. For higher education, she moved to Cambridge and in 1968, married Rajiv Gandhi. After marriage, she took up Indian citizenship and began living in India. Following her husband's assassination, she finally agreed to join politics in 1997.
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On Tuesday, Mamata Banerjee decided not to attend a meeting called by PM to discuss the possibility of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Meanwhile, TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu will also not attend the meeting called by the PM.
While there was a loud thumping of desks by the Congress members, voices were heard from the BJP benches "greeting" Sonia Gandhi "for taking oath in Hindi".
Congress leaders P. Chidambaram, K. Suresh, Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jairam Ramesh and Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary met at UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's residence on Tuesday to discuss the party's strategy in Parliament during the Budget Session.
Party leaders, who met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi in Bhuyemau Guest house in Rae Bareli on Wednesday, said that the party should make an effort to stand on its own feet.
DMK president Stalin even referred to Sonia as 'Annai' (mother). Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu mentioned Sonia Gandhi as "Annai Sonia" as a mark of respect.
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday praised Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his "valiant and relentless" campaign in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, saying he toiled night and day for the party, demonstrated his "fearless leadership" and took on the Narendra Modi government head on.
UP Congress Committee member Rajiv Singh said, "The review will take place even at village level. The members of the review team will hold meetings with heads of blocks and panchayat."
His remarks came soon after Sonia Gandhi was elected as CPP leader unanimously as the newly-elected Lok Sabha members of the party elected her to the post once again during their first meeting on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi was elected as chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP). The decision was taken in the very first meeting of newly elected Congress Lok Sabha MPs. The meeting took place in the Central Hall of Parliament.
This will be the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will attend after the May 25 meeting of the party's working committee, where he had offered to quit as Congress chief.
This was the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi attended after the May 25 meeting of the party's working committee, where he had offered to quit as Congress chief.
The CPP is currently chaired by Sonia Gandhi and all 52 Lok Sabha MPs will be present at the meeting, besides its members in the Rajya Sabha, sources said. The meeting will be held in the central hall of Parliament and MPs will also chalk out its strategy for the upcoming session of Parliament, they said.
Several high profile guests are expected to grace the swearing in ceremony. From BIMSTEC leaders to prominent opposition leaders, a range of dignitaries will be witness to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony.
United Progressive Alliance chairperson and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony on Thursday. Congress leader Anand Sharma will accompany Sonia Gandhi at the oath-taking.
Sonia Gandhi thanked the workers of Congress as well as Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Swambhiman Dal for their support during the elections.
Though the party improved on its 2014 tally of 44, it could win just 52 Lok Sabha seats this year. The party could not open its account in 18 states and Union Territories.
Senior party leaders were conspicuous by their absence as the trends showed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead on 298 seats while the Congress was leading in 52 seats, as per the Election Commission website. Congress spokespersons present at the party headquarters were also keen to know the trends to firm up before giving their opinion.
Congress leaders led by Sonia Gandhi, party chief Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, held deliberations with Ahmed Patel, A K Antony and others as they geared up for a possible hung Parliament.
Letters have been shot off to allies as well as parties that have chosen to project a neutral image till now. UPA will try to form government at the Centre in case NDA falls short of majority mark.
Gathbandhan partners Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav could be the most prominent faces of Sonia Gandhi's much talked- about May 23 meeting. Neutral players Naveen Patnaik and K Chandrashekhar Rao are also being approached.
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