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| A Political Dynasty |
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Sonia Gandhi is the fourth member of India's first family to lead the country—and she might not be the last |
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Posted Monday, May 17, 2004; 21:00 HKT
PATRIARCH
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
Freedom Fighter
He co-led India's independence movement with Mohandas Gandhi (not related to the Nehru-Gandhi clan) and became the country's first Prime Minister in 1947. Though patrician in manner, Nehru was an ardent socialist who sought to improve the lives of India's poor. He died in 1964
MOTHER-IN-LAW
INDIRA GANDHI
The Empress
Charismatic, indefatigable, arrogant and autocratic, Indira imposed a state of emergency in the 1970s. She was killed in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards after she cracked down on Sikh separatists
BROTHER-IN-LAW
SANJAY GANDHI
The Chosen One
Indira's younger son was being groomed as her successor. He built a reputation as his mother's political enforcer during the 1975-77 period of emergency. Sanjay died in a flying accident over New Delhi in 1980
HUSBAND
RAJIV GANDHI
The Dutiful Son
He took up the clan's political leadership after his mother's death and was elected Prime Minister in 1984 on a massive sympathy vote. But seven years later the former pilot was blown up by a Tamil suicide bomber
SONIA GANDHI
Born: In 1946 in the Italian village of Orbassano, outside Turin, to construction worker Stefano Maino and his wife Paola
Early Years: Goes to Cambridge in the early 1960s to study English, and works as an au pair
Marriage: In 1965 meets Rajiv Gandhi, who is studying mechanical engineering at Trinity College. They marry in India in 1968
Family: Moves in with her mother-in-law, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Has two children, Rahul and Priyanka, now 33 and 32
Public Life: Becomes First Lady when Rajiv assumes his mother's mantle in 1984 after she is assassinated
Tragedy: Refuses the Congress Party presidency after Rajiv is assassinated, and secludes herself in her New Delhi home for six years
Politics: Reluctantly agrees to become Congress's president in 1998; leads the party to victory in 2004
CHILDREN
RAHUL GANDHI
Next in Line?
Sonia's son formally joined the Congress Party in January and won the traditionally Gandhi family-held seat of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. A gifted communicator, he is spoken of as a future Prime Minister
PRIYANKA GANDHI
Backroom Girl
Sonia's confident daughter reminds many of Indira. She is married to New Delhi-based businessman Robert Vadra, with whom she has two children. Priyanka concentrates mainly on charity work. But she is also a close adviser to her mother and brother
Source: TIME Research
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