It was another seven years later, when the party was in tatters at the Centre and in power only in four states, that she agreed to pick up the reins of the party. When it appeared that she Spring machine Suppliers would occupy the highest office in South Block, she told the surprised media that she had chosen Manmohan Singh as the prime minister of the United Progressive Alliance government. Seven years later, when he was killed, she turned away when party leaders urged her to lead the Congress.Legend has it that when Congress leaders pressed Rajiv Gandhi to occupy the Prime Minister’s chair after the assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi begged him not to, fearful about her family’s safety.New Delhi: Sonia Gandhi, who on Saturday handed over the reins of the Congress to her son, Rahul Gandhi, was once seen as an unlikely heir to the Gandhi political legacy, but crowned her innings by becoming the longest serving president of India’s grand old party.

If her successor was often described as the reluctant heir of the family, she was even more loath to take up a political role. Her exit was as subdued as her entry was spirited.When the Congress was in a shambles, Sonia Gandhi — described by sections of the media as the most powerful woman in India — steered it to victory in 2004, ousting the NDA.On Saturday, party leaders look back at her presidency with pride, hailing unity and strength as the hallmarks of her record breaking 19-year tenure. She was persuaded to do so after senior leaders left the Congress and set up their own regional outfits.