Guide Note

Sonia Gandhi is a member of the Indian Parliament, and the president of the Indian National Congress (INC) political party. She is the widow of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1991. Despite the fact that she is not of Indian descent, she is an active participant in Indian politics.

Fast Facts

1. Full name: Edvige Antonia Albina Maino
2. Born: December 9, 1946 in Lusiana, Italy
3. Political party: Indian National Congress (INC)
4. Current Leader of the Opposition in the Indian Parliament
5. Assumed office: 1999
6. Elected representative of Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh in 2006
7. Widow of former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi
8. Mother-in-law: Indira Gandhi (deceased)
9. Often criticized for not being of Indian descent
10. Outspoken critic of Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi

Sonia Gandhi didn't enter Indian politics until late in life. She and her husband Rajiv Gandhi shied away from political involvement from the time they married in 1969¹ until the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Rajiv was subsequently elected Prime Minister, at which point Sonia could not avoid the political spotlight.

Sonia Gandhi's critics often argue that she has no place in Indian politics because she was born in Italy and raised outside of India. They allege that her command of the Hindi language is lacking, and cite the fact that she did not apply for citizenship until 1983, 14 years after moving there.²