Pranab Mukherjee hinted at PM ambitions, Sonia Gandhi recalls in memoir
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi wrote in her new book that Mukherjee suggested a change at the top during a 2010 conversation.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has revealed that Pranab Mukherjee hinted at a long-held desire to become prime minister during a 2010 conversation. According to The New Indian Express, Gandhi shared this anecdote in her memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love", which was released on Tuesday.
Gandhi wrote that Mukherjee, who had developed serious differences with Finance Minister P Chidambaram, suggested it was time for a "change at the top". She stated she understood this as a hint regarding his ambition to become prime minister.
The memoir describes a weekly core group that met to ensure coordination between the government and the party. Members included Mukherjee, Arjun Singh, A K Anthony, and Ahmed Patel.
Addressing allegations that she acted as a "back seat driver" during the UPA years, Gandhi stated she was clear that Manmohan Singh was the prime minister. She maintained there was an "unspoken division of responsibility" between the government and the party.
Gandhi also rebutted claims that she interfered with administrative matters or viewed official files from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). She noted that the PMO had previously issued a statement denying that official files were ever shown to her.
The book also mentions that the Congress nominated Mukherjee in 2012 as the UPA candidate for president, an office he was subsequently elected to.