Sonia Gandhi: Congress president set to turn 'political page'

Sonia Gandhi,70, wife of Rajiv Gandhiborn as"Edvige Antonia Albina Màino"in LusianaVeneto, a little known Italian village is the longest-serving Congress president in the history of the 132-year old Congress party.

Next month she will relinquish her position as party chief to her son Rahul Gandhi as the grand old party sets a new path under anew president. Rahul though will be hard-pressed to match his mother who took over the reins of the party when the Congress was seen to be in decline in the late 90s with a resurgent BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee set to take over power at the Centre.

The steely Sonia not only fought her way beating Sitaram Kesri in 1998 but also took up the unenviable task of putting the party back on track without much political experience to bank upon. The BJP was quick to raise the "foreign origin" banner against her, with some even in her own party namely Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot keen to "expose" her Indian credentials.

Sonia began building the party as Pawar left and other leaders fell away, even as the party continued to decline, however, the leader of India's biggest opposition began work at the grassroots as the BJP came to power under Atal Bihari's prime ministership in 1999. Sonia's struggleofficially lasted for the next five years.

Sonia's biggest political blunder in her early years was misreading the late AIADMK leader Jayalalitha's mind in 1999 after the Vajpayee government failed the confidence vote. Sonia declared she had the numbers to form the government with AIADMK's support but in a historic volte-face Jayalalitha decided not to support Sonia, leaving the Congress president red-faced plunging the party into political abyss.

Sonia rose like a colossus during the 2004 elections despite Advani's "India Shining" campaign and political pundits declaring the Congress had no chance against a well-entrenched BJP. The saffron party'sdefeat in May 2004 not only stunned the nation, it meant Vajpayee left the political stage foreverwith the "queen of Indian politics"Sonia Gandhi stealing the limelight.

Sonia's decision to put Manmohan Singh's name as prime minister led to a firestorm in the Congress, however, her act of "renunciation"won her political points and shielded her against possible "foreign origin" attacks which trailed her for most of her career.

As the "tallest leader" in the Congress from 2004 to 2014, the Congress and the Indian government was virtually led by the "Sonia factor" which was seized upon by Modi accusing the Congress of remote controlling events at 10, Race Course.

Sonia Gandhi will still have to mentor her son Rahul Gandhi as he takes over the Congress party, with time against her, Sonia is set to write the last page in herpolitical chapter her own way as she decides to fade into the sunset.