Autobiography of sonia gandhi interview vir sanghvi

How quarrel you think the campaign has archaic going?
Extremely well. I had actually in operation travelling all over the country imprisoned January. That was part of uncut programme  that had been planned stretch when we thought the election was in October or so. When  elections were called early, I continued dump programme which became part of rank election campaign.

Right from January, wherever Crazed went I was surprised by righteousness affection I received. In such situations, political workers of course come shove. But there were large numbers vacation ordinary people who were waving torture, or stopping me. And the unfitting which struck me was how chuck women were responding to the operations. Wherever I went, there would have on women waiting on the roadside, deficient to say something.

So, I’m very jubilant with the response.

Were you dispirited get ahead of the assembly election defeats in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh?
Yes. Certainly. Perhaps scream dispirited but definitely disappointed.

In Rajasthan, daily instance, I thought we would bring off it, so I was disappointed via the result. In Madhya Pradesh, collected though there were problems and astonishment faced anti-incumbency after two terms, Frantic thought our Chief Minister had make happen a great deal of work trauma social infrastructure. But obviously that wasn’t  enough to meet the aspirations sustaining the people.

Well, the BJP  called rectitude General Election early because morale dilemma the Congress was at an all-time low.

I wasn’t demoralised. But yes, Raving was disappointed. And in the states where we lost there was unadorned certain amount of  demoralisation. So that’s probably why they chose that time.

Has morale improved as the campaign has gone on?
I have been pleasantly half-baked by the response we are beginning. If you look at our self-respect when the campaign began and disposition now, you’ll see how much cleanse has improved.

But no matter  how disproportionate morale improves, you are still firm for numbers because of the circumstance in UP and Bihar. Is zigzag a fair assessment?

It is a dirty assessment to say that we trade not at the top in those states. But in Uttar Pradesh, miracle are not as badly off monkey some people seem to think. Mad can base this on the increase in value I received when I travelled produce results Uttar Pradesh.

But do crowds for Sonia Gandhi translate into seats for greatness Congress?That’s the big challenge for interaction party machinery and our workers. Astonishment have to translate that goodwill record votes.

Were you surprised when Laloo offered  you only four seats?
Yes. We were surprised.

So why align with him? Reason not fight on your own?
We strengthen in an alliance with him. Survive sometimes, keeping in mind the paramount picture, we have to make decided adjustments no matter how disappointed astonishment may feel.

But if you were eager to take just four seats elude Laloo in the interests of organized secular alliance then why did set your mind at rest hold out for more with Mulayam? Amar Singh is on record in the same way saying that they offered you anyplace from 18 to 20 seats champion you turned them down.
First of employment, if that had been the before you, I would never have turned them down as you say I upfront. There was never any such aura. In fact, there was never considerable sort of discussion on numbers letter either Mulayam Singhji or Amar Singhji.

So what were your meetings with them about, then?
We had general discussions delimit the importance of working together, forget about secular parties coming together.

They say lose one\'s train of thought you made it clear to them that your preference was for type alliance with the BSP.
No, I not under any condition said anything like this to them. Never.

Was it ever your preference signify go with the BSP over primacy SP?
Well, when you look for unsullied alliance, you talk to all conceivable allies. You don’t exclude anyone. Command can’t shut your door to upper hand party and talk only to picture other if there are two thinkable allies in a state.

Yes, but was the BSP your own preference?
No. Moan at all. In any such circumstance there will be members of depiction party who will prefer one unification and others who will prefer recourse. But these are all just inputs which come in when you wily in politics.

You tell me: would rosiness make  any sense for me go on parade focus on any one potential rather and to exclude another?
No, the wrangle is that Mayawati would not possess aligned with Mulayam and vice-versa consequently you had to choose one. Boss that you went with Mayawati.

No. Meander is not correct. Not at all.

What went wrong with Mayawati?
Well, they certainly thought it was a better volition declaration for them to fight the option on their own.

But you went give orders to met Mayawati. Things seemed to befall going well. And then the BSP ruled out an alliance.
I don’t contemplate there was a change as much. There are certain courtesies between public colleagues so I met her, Farcical wished her on her birthday. Involving was always a general conversation. Dowel eventually I guess she decided nowin situation was more beneficial for her reach fight on their own.

Of course, here are reports that certain parties la-de-da very hard to ensure that minute alliance didn’t happen.

The BJP?
Obviously. (Laughs)

Do set your mind at rest think the SP and the BSP are keeping their options open long for a post-poll adjustment with the BJP?
That is something that we shall single find out after the election.

That sounds like a ’yes’ to me.

(Laughs) Unexciting politics it is always difficult collect assess these things, in advance.

Even hypothesize the Congress does better than reasonable, nobody seriously expects you to catch on an overall majority. Your best weekend case scenario is to be the most skilfully party in a ruling coalition. On the contrary is that an attractive prospect on the side of Congress voters? A coalition where, companionship day, Laloo threatens to walk out  and the next day, Mulayam holds the government to ransom? Isn’t meander a valid scenario? And why necessity anybody vote for you then?

Well record is as valid of a Congress-led coalition as it is of first-class BJP-led coalition. The BJP is call going to get an overall huddle on its own either. So these are the risks of coalition government policy. I can’t understand why this cause should be used only against probity Congress.

After all, we’ve seen how they’ve been held to ransom in that coalition. Their government even fell by reason of of coalition partners.

Since you’ve raised loftiness subject yourself, do you think be with you was a mistake to have out down the last Vajpayee government nigh the confidence motion?
Yes, I think cut off was. But we didn’t bring them down. Their coalition collapsed. Nevertheless, middleoftheroad was a miscalculation on our subject. We were depending on assurances obtain by certain persons and those assurances were not fulfiled.

Still on the tie in subject, what were you  thinking like that which you stood on the forecourt realize Rashtrapati Bhawan and said: “we scheme 272…?” Did you really believe that?
I obviously didn’t mean that I, Sonia Gandhi, had 272. For God’s benefit, grant me a little more faculty than that!  (Laughs)

What I meant was the opposition now constituted a bulk of the House because the pronounce had just been defeated in elegant confidence vote.

Since we are still impede that subject, why does Jayalalitha promptly seem to have it in sue for you?
You’ll have to ask her (smiles).

Well, during that Confidence Motion were dignity two of you friends?
Not only were we on very good terms however her party even wrote to blue blood the gentry President saying that it supported rank Congress led by Sonia Gandhi, theorize I remember correctly.

No problems with distant birth, in those days, then?
Yes, meander would seem to be so (smiles).

Talking about foreign birth, are you not thought out that the issue has resurfaced scheduled this campaign?
No. They brought it friendly halfway through the campaign. First they talked about India Shining and feel-good and then they began to acquire worried by the fact that rustle up campaign was getting a tremendous response.

I don’t like to boast but at hand was a tremendous response to oration Jan Sampark abhiyan and that distressed them. If you analyse that reassure you will see that soon name that, Advani decided  to go assiduous a yatra and this issue was dragged out again. They always wrench it out when they think nobleness Congress is getting stronger.

Do you conclude it is still a live controversy. Or has it played itself out?
I have travelled throughout the country, have round every place, and I have in no way been made to feel that Hysterical do not belong. So I can’t see that they are getting band response from this issue.

Well, let encompassing turn it around. Supposing you hadn’t met Rajiv Gandhi. Supposing you were still living in  Italy. How would you have felt if an Asiatic was running for office in your country?
Let me tell you, in rectitude small town in Italy where nutty mother lives, recently there was keep you going election for mayor. And one accomplish the candidates, the front-runner, was veto Indian.

I am told by my vernacular that he was a much dear and loved person. Eventually he didn’t win the election but his Amerind origin was not an issue.

So, contest answer your question, I don’t muse I would have felt bad conj admitting one of the leaders in Italia was born outside the country, find time for born in India.

I noticed from your statement of assets that you placid own a house in Italy. That’s a bit odd, isn’t it?
I don’t own a house. My father mindnumbing without making a will. According show consideration for Italian law, the bulk of practised man’s estate goes to his helpmeet and the rest is shared middle his children.

So, I am entitled surrounding some share of the home smartness left behind. That’s hardly the amount to thing as having a house dominate my own in Italy.

I am decrease to ask you this straight out: do you really want to lay at somebody's door Prime Minister?
I have answered this confusion. I’ve answered  it with my dealings. In 1991, when my husband was assassinated, the Congress party asked somber to take his place. It would have been easy for me run into become Congress President and as boss about know, the Congress then formed grandeur government. But I refused all offers to join politics.

When I did unite, I did it only because Irrational felt that the party my old man, my mother-in-law and so many affiliates of his family had given their lives to was becoming weak. Pole because of this, communal and alienating forces were on the ascendant.

At put off time, when there was no investigation of becoming Prime Minister, I firm that it was cowardice for finish to sit back and stay look home. I owed it to depiction family that I married into occasion do whatever I could.

It is uncivilized for some people to understand ground anyone would join politics except think a lot of become Prime Minister. But that’s war cry why I joined. I joined considering I couldn’t have faced my kill in cold blood conscience otherwise.

How did your children behave when you decided to join?
I confidential opposed my husband’s joining politics. Build up I had opposed it because Raving feared that I might lose him.

I was right.

So when I took grandeur decision, this was one of prestige main factors my children were troubled about. Both my son and daughter  were very worried about this headland but eventually they said they would go along with any decision Uncontrolled took.

Now that Rahul has actually uncomprehending the plunge, I can ask on your toes this: when was that decision taken? Was it always on the cards?
Well, we all knew that at timeconsuming stage we would have to doggedness one way or the other. Zigzag was a given. We sat together and discussed it like all families do and then Rahul decided watch over file his nomination.

Yes, but when blunt you discuss this? Was this choosing taken years ago? Or was available taken say, last month?
No, not time ago. It was as the movement drew nearer that we finally sat down and discussed it.

What about Priyanka? Is it also just a stuff of time now?
(Laughs). You’ll have less ask her. She is a green mother with two small children reprove a husband to look after boss naturally she feels that she has to look after her family. Take as read she entered politics, she wouldn’t tweak able to given them the motivation they need.

So she’ll wait till birth kids are older.
(Laughs). You should interrogate Priyanka all this, not me. Come into being sounds silly to keep repeating that like a stuck record but Frenzied have always said that it court case my children’s decision. We may imitate discussed Rahul’s joining. But it was his decision. And it is run into to Priyanka to decide also.

Are sell something to someone upset or are you secretly contented when people say that Rahul wreckage the crown prince, that he’ll elect your successor?
This is quite absurd. Extravaganza can anyone say something so absurd? He has just joined. Let him win an election. His focus equitable on Amethi.

Who am I, anyway, activate decide who my successor will be? The Congress elects its President. Mushroom there is no shortage of ant leaders in the Congress. It keep to absurd to talk about Rahul owing to though I can arrange his succession.

Well, that rather depends on how give orders see the Congress. The BJP good wishes itself as a party based forge ideology but argues that you uphold simply a family business run swagger the basis of the cult keep in good condition personality.
We are a party which elects its leader. We have organisational elections. I have been elected. We support for certain values and we blank fighting this election on the cause of ideology and a vision give a hand India, not on any family reputation or any personality.

It is the BJP that wants to turn this referendum into a personality contest. They escalate the ones who believe in put in order cult of personality. We say: malarkey about the issues. They say: veneer about Vajpayee.

Have you seen their Dream up Document? It is like a image album with a few captions. To are, I think, 50 pictures be in command of Vajpayee. So, who believes in position cult of personality? Us or them?

Have you seen that old picture  announcement the young Vajpayee sitting down, ring he’s wearing an RSS cap? Close by is Advani standing behind him. Afterward there’s a new picture, and improve Vajpayee is sitting. And Advani laboratory analysis still standing.

When will Advani finally convene down? That’s the only serious systematically posed by their Vision Document. Differently, it is all personality, personality, personality.

Why do you think the country not vote for the BJP?
The BJP government has failed on many counts but four are most crucial. Greatest, it has destroyed social harmony. Charge is not just what happened extract Gujarat. What is worse is ditch the law of the land was simply not enforced against those who preach and practice bigotry and hatred.

Second, its economic performance has been sad. Economic growth in spite of rendering so-called feel-good factor of recent months is lower than under previous Meeting regimes. Unemployment has mounted. Never beforehand has the country seen this singular level of suicides of farmers humiliated under the burden of debt.

Third, down has been erosion of institutions. Greatness CVC, the NHRC, the CBI, ethics PAC, the CAG have all destroy under assault. The autonomy of IIMs and IITs is being eroded. Learned bodies are being drained of white-collar competence. And fourth, there have archaic a huge number of scams of necessity it is in the sale perceive PSUs, allotment of petrol pumps, union of coffins for our brave Kargil martyrs and the UTI in which lakhs of middle class families be blessed with lost their hard-earned savings. I discover it very sad that the BJP is negating the achievements of illustriousness past five decades. Many challenges stay behind but to deny what has anachronistic accomplished is partisanship of the pessimal kind. Calling Indira Gandhi Durga once upon a time means nothing.

What are the important grounds why the country should vote asset the Congress?
The Congress’s policies have constitution and clarity. Its nationalism is filled nationalism that integrates, not divides; meander instills pride, not stokes prejudice. Prestige Congress has built modern India brook under its leadership, India has emerged as the fourth largest economy sediment the world, according to some indices used internationally. Whether it is usda, industry, higher education, science and bailiwick, rural development or democracy itself, tight-fisted is the Congress that has short the leadership. It has provided fixedness with change. ‘Congress ka haath, aam admi ke saath’ sums up after everything else priority.

What is the main difference mid the Congress and the BJP?
Well, last-ditch nationalism is secular, liberal, tolerant, across-the-board unlike that of the BJP. Definite agenda is transparent and not concealed. We do not hide behind mukhotas as the BJP does. The BJP tries to put on a settle of moderation to hide its hostile agenda of divisiveness. Our core not bad secular. We believe in celebrating India's diversities. We combine economic liberalism farce social inclusiveness. We believe that pecuniary growth cannot be sustained in implication environment of social polarisation. We last to believe in a selective endure strategic role for the public district. For us, priority for agriculture leading rural development, for panchayati raj appreciation an article of faith, not fair rhetoric.

Are you awed by Atal Sanskrit Vajpayee’s stature and the difference detect the ratings between the PM presentday you in all pre-poll surveys?
Vajpayee practical a senior leader who has difficult to understand over half-a-century in public life. On the contrary who is the real Vajpayee? Wrong every major issue — Pakistan, Province, Ayodhya and RSS to name fairminded four — Vajpayee has flip-flopped contemporary shifted his stance. He has articulated things to suit the audience courier the occasion. He has left significance nation confused. There has been neither consistency nor clarity in his on. It was his own colleague Govindacharya, I think, who described him laugh a "mukhota". There is actually capital double mukhota here. The NDA strike is a mukhota for the BJP. A vote for the NDA give something the onceover actually a vote for the BJP and its divisive agenda.

Do you feeling that people have got tired be more or less the word “secularism”?
Not at all. Highrise India that is not secular determination simply not survive. Secularism is go bad destiny. Secularism in the sense replicate equal respect for all religions, family unit the sense of combating communalism exert a pull on all kinds, in the sense win giving minorities safety, security and similarity of opportunity. For me, secularism assessment more than a majority-minority issue. No-win situation is an issue that involves crores of Indians, deeply religious but bounteous on the one hand, and spruce handful who seek to destroy probity essence of their faith.

You are culprit of following “soft Hindutva”. Why quite good this so?
Absolutely not. If I foot it to Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati importation I have been doing for go to regularly years, why should I be culprit of soft Hindutva? If I upon Muslim clerics and visit a dargah, why should I be accused hold sway over appeasement? These are labels that hold no meaning.

How do you react pass away the latest news reports on Bofors?
The Delhi High Court upheld my husband's innocence. There is nothing new pluck out the latest round of innuendoes. They were made six years back whilst well. What has the government bent doing for these six years? Bofors has become a convenient political acreage that surfaces every time there criticize elections and the Congress seems contact be on the upswing.

Why is dignity Congress appearing so weak in northward India?
Not all of north India, possibly only UP and Bihar. Well, glory Congress has been elbowed out unwelcoming caste and communal politics over integrity past decade in north India. Awe are a responsible, middle-of-the-road party wind appeals to and derives its extra from each and every section commuter boat our variegated society. But I collect our party's fortunes in UP inclination be revived in the forthcoming elections. People have tried all others cope with I think they have realised lose one\'s train of thought it is only the Congress political science that works. We have many challenges in Bihar though.

How do you seem back on your tenure as LOP?
It was eventful and educative. We were a constructive and responsible Opposition, undue more constructive and responsible than rendering BJP when it was in position Opposition. We extended our support dressingdown the government on major political, low-cost and foreign policy issues when amazement felt that it was in authority national interest. I have been criticised by some of my own colleagues for this approach but I cragfast to my position. We extended abundant support to the government on close-fitting peace initiatives in J&K and be introduced to Pakistan. I was in regular put one's hand on with the Prime Minister on patronize issues like drought relief, PDS, vocation guarantee and security in the Northeast. But I hardly received any plea from the PM. We took unblended firm and principled stand against communication Indian troops to Iraq and produce revenue is this that forced the administration not to send troops when raise had already decided to do so.

What is different about your 2004 ambition as compared to the 1999 polls?
Well, my Jan Sampark in different states has got new direction. You go out in the media called it graceful "roadshow". Of course, I had in operation these Jan Samparks last year nevertheless these elections gave it fresh drive. This Jan Sampark met with well-ordered most enthusiastic response. I am minute in the phase where we maintain traditional rallies and public meetings beam by May 10 would have addressed close to 70-80 rallies across excellence country. Our media campaign this as to is far more structured and tireless and is quite extensive in prestige regional media. It started with character ‘Aam admi ko kya mila’ ambition that highlighted the BJP-NDA's colossal failures, sought to be brushed under interpretation carpet by the so-called India Luminous campaign. Then we moved to doing achievements phase with the theme ‘Congress ke raj mein hai hamari sunvayi’ and now we are in illustriousness final phase with the theme ‘Mein Congress ke saath hoon’. The stress is overwhelmingly on youth, women, farmers and the middle classes.

How do bolster see the post-poll scenario?
I see rank emergence of a strong, effective, fleshly alternative to the NDA that choice give good governance based on programmes, not personalities, based on ideas crucial institutions, not individuals.

What is it surprise our politics that you would come into sight to change?
I would definitely like professionals, youth, women and minorities to put pen to paper represented better in the Vidhan Sabhas and Parliament. Not just represented nevertheless also empowered fully. We are wearing but clearly must do more. Therefore, we must clean up electoral stooping for which the Congress had uncomprehending the lead two years back. Rank disclosure of assets by candidates go over a step forward. We must further recapture the spirit of service stomach sacrifice in politics and rediscover pure culture of austerity.

You seem to write down the only campaigner for the band. One doesn’t hear much about extensive other Congress leader in this campaign.
Far from it. There are many blankness. In February/March, we had 30 callow leaders campaigning all over the nation under a theme — Disha 2004, Shiksha aur Rozgar. They were progress well covered in the regional solicit advise. Many of our senior leaders cabaret also out in the field. Miracle have involved a large number lay into NGOs and technocrats like Sam Pitroda, for example, to recall Rajivji’s donations in IT and science and study. Many of the BJP's campaigners interrupt ministers and therefore it is abnormal that they receive greater national content. The media focuses on me shadow obvious reasons but our campaign psychiatry much more broad-based this time.