Sonia Gandhi is the longest-serving president of the Congress party, which has governed India during most of its post-Independence decades. She was born in Italy, and educated at Cambridge University, where she met Rajiv Gandhi, who was then the son of prime minister Indira Gandhi. The two married in 1968.
After Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991, during campaigning for that year’s general elections, Sonia Gandhi initially stayed away from politics, but in 1998, she was chosen as the president of the Congress party. Under her leadership, in 2004, a Congress-led coalition came to power at the Centre. She famously declined to be prime minister — her foreign birth had become a politically controversial issue — and instead chose the economist Manmohan Singh. She was then named the chairperson of the coalition, which was called the United Progressive Alliance or the UPA.
Sonia Gandhi won her first Lok Sabha election in 1999, representing Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, a family stronghold. From 2004, she has represented Rae Bareli as an MP in the Lok Sabha. In 2024, she announced she was contesting elections from the Rajya Sabha, the indirectly elected house of Parliament, signalling her stepping back from electoral politics.
Dear Mr Gupta Ji… I recall calling your paper MisPrint for putting out an absurd piece not long back.
Couldn’t you find someone better than this writer to write a more sensible piece? It is pure sycophancy at it’s best. It is now rubbing on to you when to choose to carry it on your Print notwithstanding your disclaimer.
Come on Gupta Ji.. sure you can do better than this.
This is utter nonsense, comparing a monarchy with a democratic republic. You have to understand people don’t want a dynast in Delhi. The 2019 election were nothing but an end to feudalism. If you properly see then its the heirs of the erstwhile princely rulers who lost the election. Even rajasthan govt wasn’t speared in 2018. Start talking about new leadership in the country wether it’s of Congress or any other party.
This article is basically telling us that Nehru Gandhi family is royalty. It appears Vij has joined Gupta and gang and is on this so called first family’s payroll. House of Windsor does not decide day today life of Britons. Nehru Gandhi family could for a long time and are named in many major scandals. Have your heard of The Queen accused of favoring companies who bribed her? It is not possible , due to limited power, for Queen’s son in law (if she had one) to become rich by investing a miniscule amount. Am not saying that Modi is perfect but one thing he could claim in common with British royalty is he is not corrupt, yet. And that is in spite of having power. Red Sari states how Sonia slapped a security guard for checking her Italian friends who are now proved to be crooks. Vij how could you compare the two????? It makes me sick at your sycophancy.
Congress party and their bootlicking supporters cannot think anyone outside dynasty, even such person is some foreigner. The colonial mindset and slave mentality never leaves few shameless journalists.
Shekhar Gupta sir,
why why why? why do you allow such incompetent Shivam write for The Print.
Sonia is no queen and Indians are no subjects. British people are brainwashed. Best for Sonia & her family retire.
Cant you get smart people to write?
I wish my dog was as loyal as this shameless shivam is to nehru family……if Sonia’s family puts themselves out, people will hate them even more….living luxurious life by sucking the blood of the poor of the country….
British masters left 72 years before. But slave mentality still exists and is well nurtured.
I remember an oldie and slightly modified to suit the writer.
‘Asatyam Shivam sadaa Sandesham’ !
*Statutory Warnings:
1. The writer’s opinions are subjected to variations as per the latest Netflix series released in India !!
2. These opinions are only valid till the effect of Netflix binge-watching on previous weekend hangover lasts !!
For Shivam Vij, Sonia Gandhi is a Queen who should be liked by the menial citizens. Sycophancy at its best.
Can Vij be more sycophantic?
Mrs Sonia Gandhi has suffered a lot in personal capacity. She is Italian by birth and may be having humble childhood and grew like many Europians. But she has been a faithful wife and devoted daughter-in-law. She took up responsibility of congress party and country developed. Now loud mouthed are shouting and making noise. Youth like being noisy and enjoy. Leaders of governing party share and exploit them. All love and like. They don’t bother for slippage and move ahead. They love their time and go ahead. Only brooding heads are clamouring on TV screens or social media. Mrs Gandhi and Congress understand this. One need not do wrong but can always ignore newsmakers. This change is necessary if party has to survive and go ahead. Move with time. Let idealism be away. Open to public with best possible face and facts. Talk on TV shows and face gruelling questions and allow facts to flow to people. You are only to check misrepresentations by government and also painting of lopsided views. This is need of time and also of country.
Congress and ‘Learning’? Forget it. They believe that they know EVERYTHING.
When you find any total that has:
A. Abused elected leaders as much as the Gands have
B. Had their extended family profit off their power as much as the Gands have
C. Subverted the power of their own appointed ministers as much as the Gands have
THEN you have the permission to make this parallel. Until then, no, there’s not how little it’s going to take. I’d love to debate with you, man… You’re one of the dumbest turd-brains writing today!
Other than learning from Elisabeth II, what else can an Indian expect from an Italian? Learn from British and rule India had been the Congress mantra so far but wont work now as India has come out of that slave mentality and is not willing to be subordinate to western influences.
I am amazed as to how such immature characters are allowed to write and fill columns of a Shekhar Gupta venture. The very last para in this article by Shivam Vij tells us everything that is wrong with these mediamen who have no stomach to thoroughly evaluate the Gandhi family which they love so much. Or maybe Shivam Vij is telling what he himself wants to see of the Gandhi family but is it what the voter wants to see or hear ? I am sure not. Has Sonia been every questioned about the humongous corruption during her regime ? She is being wprshipped as epitome of seculariam by these mediamen like Gupta, Vij, B Dutt etc when she was the one who appealed to Imam Bukhari during 2014 LS elections, to ask Muslims to vote for the congress. Did any journo has had the guts to question Sonia ? Is this the secularism which these pliable journos want in this country ? Had Modi made such appeal to Hindu saints all hell would have broken loose and there would have been chest beating and trolling by these journos. Realms would have been written on it and Modi would have been demonised throughout the world. Has Mr Vij or his ilk ever asked Priyanka Vadra as to how her husband ammassed so much wealth and if Mr Subramanian Swamy was wrong in making them face the law then why didnt the Gandhi Vadra family sue him. Mr Shivam Vij should look inward and ask if he has done his journalistic duty. The job of journos is to ask questions to all politicians and not give a pass as they often do to Congress, Rahul and Sonia.
Shekar Gupta is inviting trouble by questioning the Nehru Gandhi families entitlement politics. When their own party faithful r treated with disdain do u expect them to mingle with the aam aadmi.
Barmaid and drugie face compared with queen of England.!!!!
She can learn from qeeen Elisabeth II that she isn’t the queen herself….
She could teach the Queen of England a thing or two. How to swindle the exchequer on the sky.
An incredibly sycophantic piece – full of ideas for Congress!
Shivam, How much got paid to write this stuff?
I am even ashamed to read this article with it’s obnoxious comparison with monarchy (as the headlines state). Just imagine how this writer will express himself if Modi were to even give a hint of being the emperor of India.
Of course, there is one substantial difference. The Windsors reign, they leave governance to Prime Ministers who rise and fall like the tide. They need to retain their popularity ratings because it costs Britain a fortune to maintain them in the style they are accustomed to. In one sense, harmless. It helps that QE II is a most gracious, sagacious monarch, more than the rest of them put together. 2. The Gandhis matter. Many would say, they used to matter. Day to day Glover depends on how well they function. Being out of power casts a more harsh, unforgiving light on them. Not measuring up.
Day to day governance …