Pressured by Congress Leaders, Sonia Gandhi Said ‘Yes’ to PM Post: How Rahul Gandhi Reacted

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has revealed a dramatic account of the events surrounding her decision to turn down the Prime Minister’s post in 2004. In her newly released memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, she recalls how senior Congress and alliance leaders pressured her to accept the top constitutional position after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) secured victory in the Lok Sabha elections.

In a particularly emotional revelation, Sonia Gandhi describes how she briefly agreed to become Prime Minister after facing intense pressure from senior leaders. However, her response left her children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, deeply disturbed.

According to Sonia, Rahul was particularly upset when he learned that she had apparently agreed to take up the position.

Sonia Gandhi Reveals How Congress Leaders Pressured Her to Become PM

Recalling the events following the 2004 general elections, Sonia Gandhi writes that she had already discussed the possibility of becoming Prime Minister with her children months before the election.

When Rahul and Priyanka asked whether she would accept the position if Congress won, her response was an emphatic no.

She writes that both her children were uncomfortable with the idea because of the family’s tragic history. The assassinations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 had deeply affected them.

However, after the UPA’s electoral victory, the question became unavoidable.

Sonia recalls that several senior alliance leaders gathered at her residence and spent more than an hour trying to convince her to accept the Prime Minister’s position.

Despite listening to their arguments, she initially refused.

According to her memoir, the leaders became increasingly insistent, with some telling her that they would not accept her refusal.

Feeling overwhelmed by the situation, Sonia eventually responded with a barely audible ‘Theek hai’ (All right).

The leaders immediately interpreted her words as acceptance and began congratulating her.

Rahul Gandhi’s Angry Reaction: ‘What About Us?’

One of the most striking revelations in Sonia Gandhi’s memoir concerns Rahul Gandhi’s reaction to her apparent acceptance.

Sonia writes that Priyanka had been standing outside an open window and had witnessed the meeting. When she realised that her mother was being pressured into accepting the position, she rushed to find Rahul.

Priyanka was reportedly in tears when she informed her brother that their mother had said yes to becoming Prime Minister.

Rahul immediately wanted to know what had happened and where their mother was.

When the two reached Sonia, Rahul confronted her.

‘You said yes?’ he asked.

Sonia explained that the leaders had refused to listen to her and that she did not actually want the position.

‘I don’t want to do it, you know I don’t. I was being pressurised,’ she told him.

Rahul responded angrily, questioning how his mother could be pressured into accepting such a responsibility.

‘Pressurised? You are being pressurised? What about us?’ he reportedly said.

He then walked away, visibly upset.

The reaction reflected the family’s concerns about Sonia’s safety, particularly after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

Priyanka Gandhi Also Urged Her Mother Not to Accept the Position

Sonia Gandhi also recalls Priyanka’s emotional response to the situation.

Unlike the senior Congress leaders who wanted her to become Prime Minister, Priyanka encouraged her mother to stand by her original decision.

She reminded Sonia that she had always been clear about not wanting the position and urged her not to allow anyone to force her into accepting it.

According to the memoir, Priyanka told her to follow her own decision and assured her that both children would support her.

Sonia describes the moment as emotionally exhausting, as she had to deal with pressure from senior political leaders while also confronting the concerns of her children.

Why Sonia Gandhi Ultimately Rejected the Prime Minister’s Post

Despite briefly telling the alliance leaders that she would agree, Sonia Gandhi eventually returned to her original decision.

She describes spending time alone, reflecting on her responsibilities towards the Congress party, its supporters and the country.

Her memoir reveals that she was torn between her sense of political duty and her personal reservations about becoming Prime Minister.

At the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on May 18, 2004, she addressed party members and formally announced that she would not accept the position.

She made it clear that becoming Prime Minister had never been her political ambition and that she wanted to follow her inner conviction.

Her decision surprised several party members, some of whom reportedly became emotional and urged her to reconsider.

However, Sonia remained firm.

Sonia Gandhi Chose Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister

After declining the top position, Sonia Gandhi proposed former finance minister Dr Manmohan Singh as the next Prime Minister.

She said she believed India would be in safe hands under his leadership.

The decision marked a major moment in Indian political history. Manmohan Singh subsequently became Prime Minister on May 22, 2004, heading the UPA government.

Sonia Gandhi continued as Congress president and became the chairperson of the UPA.

Her memoir offers a personal account of the political discussions, family concerns and emotional struggles behind one of the most consequential decisions of her political career.

Conclusion

Sonia Gandhi’s latest revelations provide a fresh perspective on the events that unfolded after Congress’s victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

Her account highlights the pressure she faced from alliance leaders, Rahul Gandhi’s angry reaction and Priyanka Gandhi’s emotional appeal to reconsider her apparent acceptance.

The episode also sheds light on how personal experiences and family concerns influenced a major political decision.

Nearly 22 years later, Sonia Gandhi’s memoir has brought renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding her decision to decline the Prime Minister’s post and nominate Manmohan Singh instead.