Pranab Mukherjee hinted at desire to become PM, Sonia Gandhi writes
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi revealed in her memoir that the late Pranab Mukherjee suggested a change at the top in 2010.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote in her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, that late former President Pranab Mukherjee hinted at a long-held desire to become Prime Minister during a 2010 conversation. Gandhi stated that Mukherjee shocked her by suggesting it might be time for a change at the top.
According to The Hindu, Mukherjee was a senior member of the Manmohan Singh Cabinet at the time and had developed serious differences with then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. Gandhi noted that she gently changed the subject during the discussion and that Mukherjee never made her feel he held it against her.
The memoir, published by HarperCollins, describes a core group that met weekly with Dr. Singh to coordinate the government and the party. This group included Mukherjee, Arjun Singh, A.K.
Antony, and Ahmed Patel.
Responding to the remarks on X, Mukherjee's daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, questioned why there was cause for shock, asking if it was a crime to be ambitious. She noted that her father once told her that any politician worth his salt has such ambition.
In the book, Gandhi also addressed claims regarding her influence during the UPA era, stating there was an unspoken division of responsibility between her and the Prime Minister. She wrote that the government functioned under Dr. Singh while the party was under her leadership.
The book was made available in bookstores on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, with an official launch expected on November 16.