Congress leader Sonia Gandhi deflected questions about nepotism and her family's stranglehold over the Indian National Congress (INC) in an interview with British daily The Guardian, conducted at her residence in New Delhi. The interview, published on Saturday, 7 November, appeared alongside an edited extract from her forthcoming memoirs, Belonging: A Journey of Love, set for release early next week.

Nepotism question draws a pointed non-answer

When pressed on why Congress cannot free itself from her family's leadership, Sonia Gandhi was described by The Guardian as 'dismissive, perhaps a nerve touched.' Her response to the interviewer was terse: 'You would have to ask the party.' On the follow-up regarding electoral losses under her son Rahul Gandhi, she offered only: 'We all fight elections: we win them, we lose them. All of us have.'

The newspaper observed that she 'skates over the question of nepotism' rather than engaging it directly. The article noted that after taking over from his mother, Rahul Gandhi lost the last three general elections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Congress now holding power in only a handful of states. 'As the family has maintained its control, Congress has been unable to shake off allegations that it is nepotistic and run by political elites,' the article stated.

UPA era and ministerial resignations

Sonia Gandhi was also described as defensive when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government — which remained in power for a decade until 2014 — was raised. When questions about that period were put to her, she said: 'In almost every single instance, the ministers resigned.' She offered no further elaboration on the broader governance legacy of the UPA years.

Emergency of 1975: 'A mistake', says Sonia

One of the more candid passages in the interview concerned the Emergency of 1975, declared by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi called it 'a mistake' and said she believes Indira eventually came to feel the same. 'I know that many would laugh at this, but I believe she was never comfortable in the course of the emergency. I think it was sitting heavy on her,' she said.

According to The Guardian's account drawn from her memoirs, the Gandhi family was 'split on the decision.' While her husband Rajiv Gandhi urged his mother to wait for the next election, his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi reportedly pushed forcefully for the Emergency, arguing at a family dinner that the Opposition 'must be stopped' or they would destroy his mother. The article noted that Sanjay's influence over Indira Gandhi 'was a great source of public controversy at the time.'

Sonia Gandhi recalled that the debate 'inflamed tensions' within the family, and that Rajiv attempted to confront his mother, 'but she refused to listen.' Her memoir reportedly states: 'Keeping Sanjay in check could have prevented much of the damage that followed.'

Witness to Indira Gandhi's assassination

In a deeply personal section of the interview, Sonia Gandhi recounted witnessing the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination by her own bodyguards. She described hearing what 'sounded like fireworks going off' before seeing Indira's bullet-ridden, blood-covered body. 'After Indira was put into a car, she held her bleeding body and tried to revive her mother-in-law as they raced to the hospital,' the article narrated.

'There was blood everywhere, and I realised she wasn't replying to my questions. It seemed as if she had already gone,' Sonia Gandhi is quoted as saying. She described the drive to the hospital as 'excruciating' — even with minimal traffic — adding, 'I also knew that because she wasn't speaking, it must be over.'

She also spoke of the deep trauma that followed Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, describing life thereafter as living 'like a ghost.' Her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, seated nearby during the interview, joined parts of the conversation. Belonging: A Journey of Love is expected to offer a fuller account of these defining personal and political chapters when it releases next week.