Ājīvika (also written Ajivika or Ajivaka) was an ancient philosophical and ascetic movement of the Mahajanapada period of the Indian subcontinent.

The Ājīvikas were contemporaries of the early Buddhists and historical Jains; the Ājīvika movement may have preceded both of these groups. The Ājīvikas may have been a more loosely-organized group of wandering ascetics (shramanas or sannyasins). Their leader was Makkhali Gosala.

The Ajivika movement is long extinct, and what information is known about its followers is primarily from historical evidence left behind in Jain and Buddhist sources. According to these sources, Ajivikas believed that the cycle of reincarnation was determined by a precise and non-personal cosmic principle called niyati "destiny, fate" and was completely independent of the person's actions. They are believed to have been strict fatalists, who did not believe in karma or the possibility of free will.

More recent work by scholars suggests that the Ajivika were perhaps misrepresented by Buddhist and Jain sources.

[Johannes Brockhorst's] claim is that, whereas the Jains teach that one can both stop the influx of new karma and rid oneself of old karma through ascetic practice, Gosāla taught that one could only stop the influx of new karma. [...] Ascetic practice can be effective in preventing further karmic influx, which helps to explain the otherwise inexplicable fact that the Ājīvikas did practice asceticism. [...] [T]he popularity of the Ājīvika doctrine in ancient times, such that it could rival that of both Jainism and Buddhism, also make sense if this doctrine was really not so radically different from these traditions as its presentation in Jain and Buddhist sources suggests.^[1]

Several rock-cut caves belonging to this sect, built during the times of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (r. 273 BC to 232 BC) have been found at Barabar Caves, Jehanabad district, Bihar.^[2]

History[link]

Very little that is concrete is known about the Ajivikas. Their scriptures and history were not preserved directly — instead, fragments of Ajivika doctrine were preserved in Buddhist and Jain sources, and they are mentioned in several inscriptions from the Mauryan empire. As a result, it is unknown to what degree the available sources reflect the actual beliefs and practices of the Ajivikas. Because most of what is known about them was recorded in the literature of rival groups, it is quite possible that accidental distortions or intentional criticism was introduced into the records. Even the name 'Ajivika' may have only been used by observers from outside the tradition.

Some regard Makkhali Gosala (Pali; Sanskrit: Goshala Maskariputra)(c. 484 BCE) as the founder of the Ajivika faith; other sources state that Gosala was a leader of a large Ajivika congregation, but not himself the founder of the movement. Gosala is believed to have been a friend of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. The Jain Bhagavati Sutra depicts Gosala as having been a disciple of Mahavira's for a period of six years, after which the two had a falling out and parted ways. Purana Kassapa was another leader of the Ajivikas.

The emperor Ashoka's father, Bindusara, was a believer of this philosophy, that reached its peak of popularity during Asoka's lifetime, and then declined into obscurity. The Ajivikasa may have continued to exist in India until as late as the 14th Century CE, but the extent to which the tradition survived is unclear. Inscriptions from southern India make reference to the 'Ajivikas' as late as the 13th Century CE, but by this point in history the term Ajivika may have been used to refer to ascetics from other traditions rather than followers of the Ajivika tradition that existed during earlier centuries.

It is interesting that the preceptor of Asoka's mother (or Bindusara's chief queen) Subhadrângî was an Ajivika.^[3]

Biography of Makkhali Gosala[link]

The father and mother of Gosāla were named, respectively, Maŋkhali and Bhaddā.^[4]

While Bhaddā was pregnant, she and her husband Mankhali the mankha came to the village ... of Saravaṇa, where dwelt a wealthy householder Gobahula. Mankhali left his wife and his luggage ... in Gobahula’s cowshed (gosālā) ... . Since he could find no shelter elsewhere the couple continued to live in a corner of the cowshed, and it was there that Bhaddā gave birth her child."^[5]

Makkhali Gosala was originally a slave. However, he escaped: "he made off, but his master pursued and overtook him, by the edge of his robe", but he "escaped in a state of nudity."^[6] Makkhali Gosala was, together with Mahāvīra, at “a well ... recognized by two female followers of Pārśva".

Makkhali Gosala reminded of the sesame plant which “had been pulled up, and had temporarily died, but it had been reanimated ... and was once more living, while the seven pods had developed”. ^[7]

Makkhali Gosala spoke of a company of merchants who found a large anthill, which had four heaps ... arising from its base. On breaking ... the second yielded gold”. ^[8]

An apparent “Gosāla ... declared that ... the original Gosāla was dead, and that the soul now inhabiting the apparent Gosāla was that of Udāï Kuṇḍiyāyaṇīya, ... taking up its abode in ... the dead Gosāla, which it had reanimated.”^[9]

Beliefs and practices[link]

Along with the history of the Ajivika movement, the practices and beliefs of the Ajivikas are difficult to reconstruct, because they were only preserved in external, often hostile sources. Ajivikas seem to have been exponents of a philosophy of absolute determinism, in which human actions and choices are unable to overcome the forces of fate. Ajivika adherents followed a strict regimen of asceticism, similar in many ways to practices undertaken by the Jains — extreme fasting, indifference to physical discomfort and living exposed to the elements. Makkhala Gosala was often described as having lived without clothing, as are some other senior Ajivika adherents. It is not clear if all Ajivikas lived as naked wanderers, or if this was a practice that was only undertaken by the extremely devout. They were also strongly against the caste system and, much like their Jain and Buddhist counterparts, were mainly non-theistic. Ajivika leaders were sometimes depicted as ending their lives voluntarily when they felt that their bodies or minds were beginning to decline — either by fasting to death, or, in the case of Purana Kassapa, by drowning.

Ajivikas and Theism[link]

Although most Ajivikas were atheistic there were many important theistic figures as well. For example, Chanakya (a.k.a. Vishnu Gupt) was a devotee of Vishnu. Only Shiva and Vishnu however appear to be the gods of the Ajivikas. Bhattotpala, in 950 A.D. identified them with the "Ekandandins" (One-staff men^[10]) writes that they are devotees of Narayana (Vishnu), although Shilanka speaking of the Ekandandins in another connection identifies them as Shaivas.^[10] Scholar James Hastings identifies the name "Mankhaliputta" or "Mankhali" with the bamboo staff.^[10] Scholar Jitendra N. Banerjea compares them to the Pasupatas Shaivas.^[11]

It is believed by scholar Charpentier that the Ajivikas before Makkhali Goshala worshiped Shiva.^[12]

Chanakya wrote in his text Chanakya Niti, "Humbly bowing down before the almighty Lord Sri Vishnu, the Lord of the three worlds, I recite maxims of the science of political ethics (niti) selected from the various satras (scriptures)"^[13]

Theology peculiar to the Ājīvikas[link]

The "two divinities, Okkali and Ōkali, are mentioned as being responsible for the diffusion of the text [entitled "The Nine Rays"] among men."^[14] "The Tamil text Nīlakēci mentions two devas, Okkali and Ōkali, who according to the mythology of the Dravidian Ājīvikas, are said to have instructed men in the scriptures".^[15]

Metaphysics[link]

"If all future occurrences are rigidly determined ..., coming events may in some sense be said to exist already. The future exists in the present, and both exist in the past. Time is thus on ultimate analysis illusory".^[16] "Every phase of a process is always present. ... in a soul which has attained salvation its earthly births are still present. Nothing is destroyed and nothing is produced. ... Not only are all things determined, but their change and development is a cosmic illusion."^[17]

"Life (jïva) cannot be cut or split, it is of eight parts".^[18]

Scriptures[link]

The Ajivika are believed to have possessed a collection of scripture, based on references made to such a collection in Jaina sources.^[19] Of these scriptures, the only portions possibly surviving are scattered selections of verse in Buddhist and Jain sources that seem to represent quotations from the Ajivika scriptures.^[20] The Ajivika scriptures are not known to have ever been committed to writing, and their contents are unknown outside of these fragmentary quotations and a few hints provided by lists of titles recorded in non-Ajivika sources.

One such list collected by a Jaina commentator identifies the eight primary collections of texts as being grouped as follows:

• Divyam (of the divine)
• Autpātam (of portents)
• Bhaumam (of the earth)
• Āngam (of the body)
• Svāram (of sound)
• Lākşanam (of characteristics)
• Vyāñjanam (of indications)^[21]

An alternative listing substitutes Suvine (dreams) for Divyam, and indicates that all of these collections were used for purposes of fortune telling, an activity in which Ajivika mendicants are described as engaging in several sources.^[19]

In addition to those eight scriptures, there were two more entitled as Magga-s. The two Magga-s (‘paths’, Skt. /mārgau/) are said by Abhayadeva to have been^[22] those of song (“gīta”) and dance (“nṛtya”).

"The Ājīvika teacher in the Nīlakēci further gives the name of the [11th] scripture as ... “The Nine Rays” ...[which] is said to describe the atomic structure of the universe, and is one of the four cardinal points of the Ājīvika faith".^[23]

See also[link]

• Brahmana
• Cārvāka
• Chanakya

References[link]

• Basham, A.L. (2002). History and Doctrines of the Ājīvikas. Delhi, India: Moltilal Banarsidass Publications. ISBN 81-208-1204-2.  originally published by Luzac & Company Ltd., London, 1951.

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Doctrines and History of the Ajivikas
• History and Doctrines of the Ājïvikas, I-IV
• History and Doctrines of the Ājïvikas, V-XV

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Ashok Gehlot is the 21st & 23rd Chief Minister of the state of Rajasthan, India.

Personal[link]

Ashok Gehlot, son of Lachman Singh Gehlot, was born on 3 May 1951 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. A Science and Law graduate, Gehlot also holds a MA degree in Economics. He is married to Sunita Gehlot and has a son and a daughter. He is a Hindu and a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) party.^[1]

Political profile[link]

Active in politics and social service ever since his student life, Gehlot was elected for the first time to the 7th Lok Sabha (1980–84) from Jodhpur Parliamentary Constituency in 1980. Gehlot has represented Jodhpur Parliamentary Constituency in the 8th Lok Sabha (1984–1989) 10th Lok Sabha (1991–1996), 11th Lok Sabha (1996–1998), and 12th Lok Sabha (1998–1999).

Elected from Sardarpura (Jodhpur) Assembly Constituency, he became member of the 11th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly in February 1999. Gehlot was again re-elected from the same Assembly Constituency on 4 December 2003 for the 12th Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha and on 8 December 2008 for the 13th Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha.

Union Minister[link]

Ashok Gehlot served in the Union Cabinet of former Indian Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi P.V. Narsimha Rao. He has served in the Union Cabinet three times. He remained Union Deputy Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation from 2 September 1982 to 7 February 1984, when Mrs. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India. Thereafter, he became the Dy. Minister of Sports. He served the Sports Ministry from 7 February 1984 to 31 October 1984 and again from 12 November 1984 to 31 December 1984. His He was elevated to the rank of State Minister. Gehlot served as the Union Minister of State, Tourism and Civil Aviation from 31 December 1984 to 26 September 1985. Later, he was made the Union Minister of State, Textiles with Independent Charge - a portfolio held by the Prime Minister himself. Gehlot held this portfolio from 21 June 1991 to 18 January 1993.

Minister, Government of Rajasthan[link]

Gehlot served for a short period of time, as the Home and PHED Minister, Government of Rajasthan from June 1989 to November 1989. Still Know

AICC/CWC[link]

Gehlot was made General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee on 17 July 2004. He held this post up to 18 February 2009. Being a devoted and dedicated worker of the Congress party, Gehlot was made Member (Special Invitee), Congress Working Committee as well as In charge of Himachal Pradesh and Chattisgarh States. He held this responsibility from January 2004 to July 2004.

RPCC Chief[link]

Ashok Gehlot became the President of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee at the young age of 34. His first tenure as the RPCC Chief lasted from September 1985 to June 1989. He became RPCC Chief the Second time on 1 December 1994 and held this post until 14 April 1999.

Gehlot strengthened the Youth wing of Congress party as the President of Rajasthan NSUI from 1973 to 1979. He served the City District Congress Committee, Jodhpur as its President from 1979 to 1982. He was also the General Secretary of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (I) in 1982.

Philanthropy[link]

Gehlot worked in the refugee camps at Bangaon and 24 Parganas districts (WB) during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. Inspired by his keen interest in Social service, Gehlot rendered his services for the development of slums and jhuggi areas and actively took part in camps organized by Tarun Shanti Sena at Sevagram, Wardha, Aurangabad, Indore and several places. He contributed to the extension of adult education through Nehru Yuva Kendra. He has been actively associated with Kumar Sahitya Parishad as well as Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Book Bank, Jodhpur.

Gehlot is the founder president of Bharat Seva Sansthan . Dedicated to the social service, the Sansthan arranges for ambulance services and free books for the poor students through Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Book Bank. The Sansthan has established a reading room in Jodhpur at Rajiv Gandhi Seva Sadan.

Gehlot is also the Chairman of Rajiv Gandhi Study Circle, New Delhi which caters to the interests of university and college students and teachers across the country.

Lok Sabha Legislative Experience[link]

He had been member of the Public Accounts Committee (Lok Sabha) from 1980 to 1982. He was also Member of the Consultative Committee on Communication (10th Lok Sabha). He served as Member, Standing Committee on Railways (10th and 11th Lok Sabha) besides being member of the Consultative Committee on External Affairs (11th Lok Sabha).

Chief Minister of Rajasthan[link]

Ashok Gehlot's first tenure of Chief Ministership (1-12-1998 to 8-12-2003) was characterized by his supporters as successful for a system of "unprecedented drought management, power generation, infrastructure development, employment generation, industrial and tourism promotion, financial management and good governance". In the 2003, Rajasthan State Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) elections Gehlot's Congress Party lost the vote and Vasundhara Raje Scindia, the state President of the primary opposition party, the Bhartiya Janata Party, was sworn in as Chief Minister of the state.

A popular slogan for Gehlot has been "Save Water, Save Electricity, Educate All" "पानी बचाओ, बिजली बचाओ, सबको पढ़ाओ."

Ashok Gehlot was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for his second non-consecutive term on 13 December 2008.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot is in the eye of a storm over allegations of favouring companies that employed the services of his son, Vaibhav Gehlot. The Gehlot government allegedly awarded contracts worth several crores of rupees to Om Metals and Triton Hotels, which had hired Vaibhav Gehlot as their legal consultant.^[2]

More charges of nepotism have been levied against Ashok Gehlot. It is said that he favoured the a real estate company Shouri Constructions, where his daughter Sonia Gehlot and her husband Gautam Ankhand are directors. Gautam Ankhand said, "We are staying there not because we are shareholders or directors, but because of our relations."

Gehlot allegedly allocated the contract to renovate the famous heritage area of Jal Mahal - an area worth rupees 2000 crores. Shourie Constructions was earlier part of the real estate giant Kalpataru group. What has raised many eyebrows is that a lease of 99 years at the rate of just rupees 2.5 crores per annum had been granted to Kalpataru for renovating 432 acres of the Jal Mahal complex.^[3]

Although Mr Gehlot denied this by saying ""The allegations are completely baseless and false. I am against nepotism, and I never extend any undue favour to my family members or others. Those who are close to me know this fact very well," ^[4]

Positions held[link]

According to a biographical article published by the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Secretariat, Gehlot has held the following positions:^[1]

Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha):

• 1980 - 1984 - Seventh Lok Sabha
• 1984 - 1989 - Eighth Lok Sabha
• 1991 - 1996 - Tenth Lok Sabha
• 1996 - 1998 - Eleventh Lok Sabha
• 1998 - 1999 - Twelfth Lok Sabha

Others:

• 1980 - 1982 - Member, Public Accounts Committee, Lok Sabha
• 1982 - 1983 - Union Deputy Minister, Department of Tourism
• 1983 - 1984 - Union Deputy Minister, Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation
• 1984 - 1984 - Union Deputy Minister, Department of Sports
• 1984 - 1985 - Union Minister of State, Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation
• 1989 - 1989 - Minister, Department of Home and PHED, Govt. of Rajasthan
• 1991 - 1993 - Union Minister of State, Department of Textiles (Independent Charge)
• 1991 - 1996 - Consultative Committee on Communication ( Lok Sabha )
• 1991 - 1998 - Standing Committee on Railway (10th & 11th Lok Sabha)
• 1996 - 1998 - Consultative Committee on External Affairs ( Lok Sabha )
• 1998 - 2003 - Chief Minister, Rajasthan
• 2008–present - Chief Minister, Rajasthan

Other positions held:

• 1974 - 1979 - President, Rajasthan NSUI
• 1979 - 1982 - President, City District Congress Committee, Jodhpur
• 1982 - General Secretary, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee
• 1985 - 1989, 1994–97, 1997 - 1999 - President, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee

References[link]

External links[link]

• All About Mr. Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan, INDIA Website : www.cmo.rajasthan.gov.in
• Ashok Gehlot on TOI Ashok Gehlot took everyone by surprise earlier this month when he decided to clamp down on Pravin Togadia of the VHP. The firebrand Hindutva leader was arrested for distributing trishuls and making inflammatory speeches. In a conversation with Neelabh Mishra, the chief minister defends his government’s action: [1]
• [2]

v t e Current Chief Ministers of Indian states (list)     Andhra Pradesh: Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy Arunachal Pradesh: Nabam Tuki Assam: Tarun Gogoi Bihar: Nitish Kumar Chhattisgarh: Raman Singh Goa: Manohar Parrikar Gujarat: Narendra Modi Haryana: Bhupinder Singh Hooda Himachal Pradesh: Prem Kumar Dhumal Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah Jharkhand: Arjun Munda Karnataka: D. V. Sadananda Gowda Kerala: Oommen Chandy Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chauhan Maharashtra: Prithviraj Chavan Manipur: Okram Ibobi Singh Meghalaya: Mukul Sangma Mizoram: Pu Lalthanhawla Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio Orissa: Naveen Patnaik Punjab: Parkash Singh Badal Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot Sikkim: Pawan Kumar Chamling Tamil Nadu: Jayalalithaa Tripura: Manik Sarkar Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav Uttarakhand: Vijay Bahuguna West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee Delhi: Sheila Dikshit Pondicherry: N. Rangaswamy

Sonia Gandhi
Chairperson of the National Advisory Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 March 2010
In office 2004–2006
Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance
Incumbent
Assumed office 2004
Member of Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 2006
Constituency	Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
In office 2004–2006
President of the Indian National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office 1998
Member of Lok Sabha
In office 1999–2004
Constituency	Amethi, Uttar Pradesh
Leader of the Opposition
In office 19 March 1998 – 22 May 2004
Preceded by	Sharad Pawar
Succeeded by	Lal Krishna Advani
Personal details
Born	Edvige Antonia Albina Maino (1946-12-09) 9 December 1946 (age 65) Lusiana, Veneto, Italy
Citizenship	India
Nationality	Italian[citation needed]
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)	Rajiv Gandhi (m. 1969–1991) «start: (1969)–end+1: (1992)»"Marriage: Rajiv Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Sonia_Gandhi)
Children	Rahul Gandhi Priyanka Vadra
Residence	10 Janpath, New Delhi, India
Profession	Politician social worker
Religion	Roman Catholicism[1]

Sonia Gandhi (born Antonia Edvige Albina Maino^[2][3][4] on 9 December 1946)^[5] is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi and belongs to Nehru–Gandhi family. After his assassination in 1991, she was invited by the Indian National Congress to take over the Congress but refused and publicly stayed away from politics amidst constant prodding by the Congress. She finally agreed to join politics in 1997; in 1998, she was elected as the leader of the Congress.

Since then, Sonia Gandhi has been the President of the Indian National Congress Party. She has served as the Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance in the Lok Sabha since 2004. In September 2010, on being re-elected for the fourth time, she became the longest serving president in the 125-year history of the Congress party.^[6] Her foreign birth has been a subject of much debate and controversy.^[7][8][9] Although Sonia is actually the fifth foreign-born person to be leader of the Congress Party, she is the first since independence in 1947.^[10]

Early life[link]

Sonia Gandhi's birthplace, 31, Contrada Maini (Maini street), Lusiana, Italy (the house on the right)

She was born to Stefano and Paola Maino in Contrada Màini ("Maini quarter/district"), at Lusiana,^[11][12] a little village 30 km from Vicenza in Veneto,^[13] Italy, where families with the family name "Màino" have been living for many generations.^[14][15][16] She spent her adolescence in Orbassano,^[17] a town near Turin, being raised in a traditional Roman Catholic family and attending a Catholic school. Her father, a building mason, died in 1983.^[18] Her mother and two sisters still live around Orbassano.^[19]

In 1964, she went to study English at the Bell Educational Trust's language school in the city of Cambridge. She met Rajiv Gandhi, who was enrolled in Trinity College at the University of Cambridge in 1965 at a Greek restaurant (the Varsity Restaurant) while working there as a waitress to make ends meet.^[20][21] Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi married in 1968, following which she moved into the house of her mother-in-law and then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.^[22]

The couple had two children, Rahul Gandhi (born 1970) and Priyanka Vadra (born 1972). Despite belonging to the influential Nehru family, Sonia and Rajiv avoided all involvement in politics. Rajiv worked as an airline pilot while Sonia took care of her family.^[23] When Indira was ousted from office in 1977 in the aftermath of the Indian Emergency, the Rajiv family moved abroad for a short time.^{[citation needed]} When Rajiv entered politics in 1982 after the death of his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi in a plane crash on 23 June 1980, Sonia continued to focus on her family and avoided all contact with the public.^[24]

Political career[link]

Wife of the Prime Minister[link]

Sonia Gandhi's involvement with Indian public life began after the assassination of her mother-in-law and her husband's election as Prime Minister. As the Prime Minister's wife she acted as his official hostess and also accompanied him on a number of state visits.^{[citation needed]} In 1984, she actively campaigned against her husband's sister-in-law Maneka Gandhi who was running against Rajiv in Amethi. At the end of Rajiv Gandhi's five years in office, the Bofors Scandal broke out. Ottavio Quattrocchi, an Italian business man believed to be involved, was said to be a friend of Sonia Gandhi, having access to the Prime Minister's official residence.^[25] In 1980, her name appeared in the voter's list for New Delhi prior to her becoming an Indian Citizen, when she was still holding Italian Citizenship.^[26] It was a violation of Indian Laws.^[27] When she did acquire Indian Citizenship in April 1983, the issue cropped up again, as her name appeared on the 1983 voter's list when the deadline for registering had been in January 1983.^[28][29]

Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee said that she surrendered her Italian passport to the Italian Embassy on 27 April 1983. Italian nationality law did not permit dual nationality until 1992. So, by acquiring Indian citizenship in 1983, she would automatically have lost Italian citizenship.^[30]

Congress President[link]

With the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev during his State visit in December 2010.

After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and her refusal to become Prime Minister, the party settled on the choice of P. V. Narasimha Rao who became leader and subsequently Prime Minister. Over the next few years, however, the Congress fortunes continued to dwindle and it lost the 1996 elections. Several senior leaders such as Madhavrao Sindhia, Rajesh Pilot, Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Arjun Singh, Mamata Banerjee, G. K. Moopanar, P. Chidambaram and Jayanthi Natarajan were in open revolt against incumbent President Sitaram Kesri and quit the party, splitting the Congress into many factions.^{[citation needed]}

In an effort to revive the party's sagging fortunes, she joined the Congress Party as a primary member in the Calcutta Plenary Session in 1997 and became party leader in 1998.^[31]

In May 1999, three senior leaders of the party (Sharad Pawar, P. A. Sangma, and Tariq Anwar) challenged her right to try to become India's Prime Minister because of her foreign origins. In response, she offered to resign as party leader, resulting in an outpouring of support and the expulsion from the party of the three rebels who went on to form the Nationalist Congress Party.^[32]

Within 62 days of joining as a primary member, she was offered the party President post which she accepted.^{[citation needed]} She contested Lok Sabha elections from Bellary, Karnataka and Amethi, Uttar Pradesh in 1999. In Bellary she defeated veteran BJP leader, Sushma Swaraj.^[33] In 2004 and 2009, she was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.^[34]

Leader of the Opposition[link]

Sonia Gandhi welcomes U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to her residence, 10 Janpath in New Delhi, India, 2009.

She was elected the Leader of the Opposition of the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999.^{[citation needed]} When the BJP-led NDA formed a government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she took the office of the Leader of Opposition. As Leader of Opposition, she called a no-confidence motion against the NDA government led by Vajpayee in 2003.^{[citation needed]}

She holds the record of having served as Congress President for 10 years consecutively.^{[citation needed]}

2004 elections and aftermath[link]

In the 2004 general elections, Gandhi launched a nationwide campaign, criss-crossing the country on the Aam Aadmi (ordinary man) slogan in contrast to the 'India Shining' slogan of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance. She countered the BJP asking "Who is India Shining for?". In the election, she won by a large margin in the Rae Bareilly constituency. Following the unexpected defeat of the NDA, she was widely expected to be the next Prime Minister of India. On 16 May, she was unanimously chosen to lead a 15-party coalition government with the support of the left, which was subsequently named the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

The defeated NDA protested once against her 'foreign origin' and senior NDA leader Sushma Swaraj threatened to shave her head and "sleep on the ground", among other things, should Sonia become prime minister.^[7] The NDA also claimed that there were legal reasons that barred her from the Prime Minister's post.^[35] They pointed, in particular, to Section 5 of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955, which they claimed implied 'reciprocity'. This was contested by others^[29] and eventually the suits were dismissed by the Supreme Court of India.^[36]

A few days after the election, Gandhi appointed Manmohan Singh as prime minister. Her supporters compared it to the old Indian tradition of renunciation,^[37] while her opponents attacked it as a political stunt.^[38]

UPA Chairperson[link]

Sonia Gandhi speaking at World Economic Forum's India Economic Summit 2006

On 23 March 2006, Gandhi announced her resignation from the Lok Sabha and also as chairperson of the National Advisory Council under the office-of-profit controversy and the speculation that the government was planning to bring an ordinance to exempt the post of chairperson of National Advisory Council from the purview of office of profit. She was re-elected from her constituency Rae Bareilly in May 2006 by a margin of over 400,000 votes.

As chairperson of the National Advisory Committee and the UPA, she played an important role in making the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Right to Information Act into law.^[39][40]

She addressed the United Nations on 2 October 2007, Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary which is observed as the international day of non-violence after a UN resolution passed on 15 July 2007.^[41]

Under her leadership, India returned the Congress-led-UPA to a near majority in the 2009 general elections with Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister. The Congress itself won 206 Lok Sabha seats, which was the highest total by any party since 1991.

Personal life[link]

Sonia Gandhi in 2009

Sonia is the widow of late Rajiv Gandhi, elder son of Indira Gandhi. She is a practising Christian.^[42] There has been considerable media speculation for over a decade about their future role in the Congress. After a period of uncertainty, both Rahul and Priyanka became primary members of the Congress party. While Priyanka has so far restricted herself to organising her mother's election campaigns and taking care of Sonia's constituency, Rahul Gandhi has gone on to take formal charge as General Secretary of the Congress Party. He is also currently head of the Youth Congress.

In August 2011, she underwent a successful surgery for some ailment in the US. It has been widely speculated in the media that the surgery took place at Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Newspapers reported that she returned^[43] to India on 9 September after her treatment.

Honours, awards and international recognition[link]

Gandhi was named the third most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine in the year 2004^[44] and was ranked 6th in 2007.^[45] In 2010, Gandhi ranked as the ninth most powerful person on the planet by Forbes Magazine.^[46] She was also named among the Time 100 most influential people in the world for the years 2007^[47] and 2008.^[48] The British magazine New Statesman listed Sonia Gandhi at number 29 in their annual survey of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures" in the year 2010.^[49]

Portrayals and coverage in books[link]

Books[link]

• Sonia Gandhi – An Extraordinary Life, An Indian Destiny (2011), a biography written by Rani Singh.

See also[link]

• List of political families
• List of Italians

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• S. R. ET AL. BAKSHI (1998) Sonia Gandhi, The President of AICC South Asia Books. ISBN 81-7024-988-0
• Rupa Chaterjee (1999) Sonia Gandhi: The Lady in Shadow Butala. ISBN 81-87277-02-5
• C. Rupa, Rupa Chaterjee (2000) Sonia Mystique South Asia Books. ISBN 81-85870-24-1
• Moro, Javier "El sari rojo" (Ed. Seix Barral, 2008) "Il sari rosso" (Il Saggiatore, 2009)

External links[link]

	Biography portal
	India portal

Official

• Sonia Gandhi official Indian National Congress Party profile
• Parliamentary profile at India.gov.in

Others

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sonia Gandhi

• Profile at BBC News
• Profile at Forbes
• Sonia Gandhi collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Sonia Gandhi collected news and commentary at The Guardian
• Sonia Gandhi collected news and commentary at The Wall Street Journal
• Sonia Gandhi collected news and commentary at Al Jazeera English
• Sonia Gandhi at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Sonia Gandhi in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Works by Sonia Gandhi on Open Library at the Internet Archive
• Sonia Gandhi at the Notable Names Database

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