Asked in an interview published on Saturday why Congress could not move beyond the Gandhi family, she replied: “You would have to ask the party.” Her response left unanswered a question that has accompanied the opposition party through successive electoral defeats and leadership changes.
Gandhi also rejected the suggestion that family connections alone determined political standing, without directly addressing allegations of nepotism. “We all fight elections: we win them, we lose them. All of us have,” she said, pointing to electoral participation rather than explaining how leadership positions are decided.
The exchanges came during an unusually extensive interview at her Delhi residence ahead of the publication of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love. Her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a Congress parliamentarian, attended the conversation. Gandhi discussed her political career, the assassinations of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and her assessment of the country’s political direction.
Congress is formally headed by Mallikarjun Kharge, who became party president in 2022, ending the Gandhi family’s direct occupancy of that office. Nevertheless, Sonia Gandhi remains chairperson of its parliamentary party, Rahul Gandhi serves as leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is a member of Parliament.
Their positions illustrate the distinction between holding the party presidency and exercising political influence within its wider organisation. Critics, particularly within the Bharatiya Janata Party, have long accused Congress of relying on inherited prominence. Congress leaders have defended the family’s role by emphasising political experience, party support and electoral accountability.
Gandhi did not announce any change to the party’s leadership arrangements or indicate that her children intended to withdraw from politics. Asked whether a Congress associated with her family could still challenge the BJP, she maintained that it could, although she offered no detailed organisational prescription in the interview.
The party’s electoral difficulties have sharpened scrutiny of its leadership. Congress lost national power in 2014 and failed to dislodge Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP in subsequent general elections. Its position as the principal national opposition force has nevertheless kept its senior figures central to parliamentary debates and opposition coordination.
Gandhi acknowledged that Congress had made mistakes contributing to the BJP’s political ascent. “I think we have been too complacent in many ways,” she said, describing a past attitude of insufficient urgency. Her admission contrasted with her refusal to engage substantively with questions about the family’s continuing prominence.
She was sharply critical of Modi’s government, accusing it of undermining democratic institutions and limiting the opposition’s ability to participate meaningfully in parliamentary proceedings. Those allegations reflected her political assessment; the government and BJP have consistently contested opposition claims that democratic institutions are being systematically weakened.
Gandhi also described an atmosphere of fear surrounding political criticism. She expressed encouragement at demonstrations by younger people, saying they were challenging government decisions and conduct. She did not suggest that the protests were organised by Congress or that their participants had endorsed the party.
The interview coincided with preparations for the release of her memoir, which recounts her entry into the Nehru-Gandhi family and her reluctant involvement in politics. Gandhi said she had never sought political office for personal ambition and recalled declining the prime ministership after Congress’s 2004 election victory.
Discussing the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975, she called the decision a mistake and said Rajiv Gandhi had opposed it. The Emergency remains a contentious part of Congress’s record because of the suspension of civil liberties, restrictions on the press and detention of political opponents.
Gandhi also spoke about difficulties surrounding the publication of her book. She said an initial publishing arrangement had faltered over concerns about criticism of the government. Penguin Random House India disputed her account, denying that it had decided against publication because she refused editorial changes.
Now less involved in Congress’s daily management, Gandhi said she continued to receive political updates from her daughter and attended occasional meetings. She described their continued involvement as especially important under current political circumstances. She also welcomed Rahul and Priyanka’s participation in opposition politics, despite having earlier wished to shield them from the dangers she associated with public life.
