Sonia Gandhi (Hindi: [ˈsoːnɪjaː ˈɡaːndʱiː], Italian: [ˈsɔːnja ˈɡandi]; née Maino [ˈmaino]; born 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician.

After completing her primary education at local schools, she moved for language classes to Cambridge, England, where she met Rajiv Gandhi, and later married him in 1968.

[c] Over the course of her career, Gandhi presided over the advisory councils credited for the formation and subsequent implementation of such rights-based development and welfare schemes as the Right to Information, Food Security Bill, and MGNREGA, as she drew criticism related to the National Herald case during the Manmohan Singh premiership.

[d] Gandhi's active participation in politics began to reduce during the latter half of the UPA government's second term owing to health concerns.

She attained primary education attending the local Catholic schools; one of her early teachers described her as "a diligent little girl, [who] studied as much as was necessary".

[22] He had fought against the Soviet military alongside Hitler's Wehrmacht on the eastern front in World War II, was a loyal supporter of Benito Mussolini and Italy's National Fascist Party.

[25] The following year, she met Rajiv Gandhi at the Varsity Restaurant, where she was working as a part-time waitress, while he was enrolled for an engineering degree in the Trinity College at the University of Cambridge.

[30] Soon after the latter's ousting from office in 1977 in the aftermath of the Indian Emergency, the Rajiv family contemplated moving abroad for a short time.

[31] 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.

[32] 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.

Ottavio Quattrocchi, an Italian businessman believed to be involved, was said to be a friend of Sonia Gandhi, having access to the Prime Minister's official residence.

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 many of whom quit the party, splitting the Congress into many factions.

[7][43] 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.

On 16 May, she was unanimously chosen to lead a coalition government of 15 parties supported by the left, and it was subsequently named as United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

[62][63] 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.

[68] In the same year, Gandhi condemned the Supreme Court judgement supporting Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and backed LGBT rights.

[70] However, the Indian National Congress and the Congress-led UPA electoral alliance suffered their worst result in a general election ever, winning only 44 and 59 seats respectively.

[75][76] Gandhi returned to active politics for the Indian National Congress' campaign for the 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election.

[79] Rahul Gandhi, taking responsibility for Congress party's second consecutive loss in general elections held in 2019, resigned from the post of President on 25 May.

[82][83] In February 2020, Gandhi held a press conference where she demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah should resign for failing to stop the North East Delhi riots.

[84] In 2022, it was reported that Sonia Gandhi supported Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot for Congress president to lead in the next Indian general election.

[86] Gandhi filed her nomination to contest for the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan to succeed retiring MP Manmohan Singh.

[87] On 31 January 2025, Gandhi faced a major criticism for her controversial comments against President Droupadi Murmu following the latter's speech during a joint session.

[88] Calling the President as "Poor Thing", several BJP leaders stated the comment was derogatory and anti-poor, besides disrespect to the highest Constitutional authority.