‘Manmohan Singh Ran Government, I Focused On Party’: Sonia Gandhi Explains UPA Power-Sharing In Memoir
In Short
Sonia Gandhi's memoir reveals how she and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh divided responsibilities during the UPA government, with Singh leading the government and Gandhi focusing on the Congress party.
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‘Manmohan Singh Ran Government, I Focused On Party’: Sonia Gandhi Explains UPA Power-Sharing In Memoir
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has described the division of responsibilities between herself and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, saying Singh was in charge of running the government while she focused on leading the Congress party.
In her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Gandhi said the two leaders had distinct roles and worked as a team during the UPA's decade in power.
“Our experience was by and large a very positive one. We worked as a team, and our roles were distinct, with him leading the government and I leading the party,” she said, according to an interview cited by The Week.
Sonia Gandhi Rejects Allegations Of Interference In Government
Gandhi also rejected allegations that she exercised control over the government or routinely sought official files from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
She said claims that she had asked for government files from the PMO were “malicious and totally false”.
Gandhi acknowledged that she provided inputs during the formation of the government, particularly to ensure that Congress leaders and workers who had supported the party during its years out of power were given due consideration.
Why Manmohan Singh Was Chosen As Prime Minister
The memoir also sheds light on the circumstances surrounding Manmohan Singh's selection as Prime Minister after the Congress-led UPA won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
According to the account, Singh's image as the architect of India's 1991 economic liberalisation was considered an advantage. His appointment was also expected to address concerns among sections of the political establishment over the Left parties supporting the UPA government from outside.
Gandhi said she had decided against becoming Prime Minister months before the 2004 election results were announced. She said her children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, had also insisted that she should not take up the post because of concerns over her safety.
What Sonia Gandhi Says About Her Decision
Gandhi said she had never wondered how the UPA government's policies or the Congress's political strategy might have been different had she accepted the Prime Minister's post.
She described the UPA years as a collective effort, with Singh handling the government and her concentrating on the party and the alliance.
The 544-page memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, published by HarperCollins India, traces Gandhi's personal journey alongside significant political events, including the Congress-led UPA's rise to power in 2004 and its decade in government.
