Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has finally told her own story. Her memoir, “Belonging: A Journey of Love”, hit bookstores on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, and within 48 hours it had set off debates across Indian politics, from her blunt comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi to her account of why Nitish Kumar left the INDIA bloc.
The book was itself the subject of controversy before release. Penguin Random House India decided not to publish it in India after reportedly seeking changes, and HarperCollins India stepped in. In this Election Guru explainer we go through the biggest revelations chapter by chapter, the publishing row, the reactions from JD(U), BJP and Congress, and what the memoir means for the Congress and the opposition.
Sonia Gandhi Memoir at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Belonging: A Journey of Love |
| Author | Sonia Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson |
| Release date | Tuesday, 10 November 2026 |
| Publisher in India | HarperCollins India |
| Publishing row | Penguin Random House India declined to publish in India after reportedly seeking edits |
| Major themes | Family, Rajiv and Indira Gandhi, Emergency, 2004, Modi, Congress, health |
| Biggest political flashpoint | Her account of Nitish Kumar’s exit from the INDIA bloc |
The Publishing Controversy
According to reports, Penguin Random House India had sought editorial changes and deletions in the manuscript, allegedly including references to Narendra Modi, the RSS and China’s occupation of Indian territory. When it decided not to publish the book in India, Congress leaders raised concerns about censorship. HarperCollins India then announced that it would publish the memoir on 10 November. The publishing row itself became part of the political story and drew more attention to the book.
Revelation 1: Why Sonia Gandhi Did Not Become PM in 2004
This is the question that has followed Sonia Gandhi for over two decades. In the memoir she writes that she had discussed the possibility of becoming Prime Minister with her children, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, before the 2004 general election. Both opposed the idea because they feared for her safety, having already lost their grandmother Indira Gandhi and their father Rajiv Gandhi to assassinations.
After the UPA won in May 2004, party leaders pressed her to reconsider. She writes that she told Rahul the next morning that she would stick to her decision. Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister and served two full terms. Sonia Gandhi also denies the long-running charge that she ran the government from behind the scenes, saying she focused on the party and on managing the alliance.
Revelation 2: Sonia Gandhi on Narendra Modi
The memoir’s comments on Prime Minister Modi have drawn the most headlines. She says she has had “practically no real contact” with him and that their interaction has been limited to greetings at official events. She claims he tends to look away and avoid eye contact. She also questions the image of his underprivileged childhood promoted by his publicity team and contrasts his outlook with her own pluralist views, describing his version of Hinduism as an “exclusionary, hardened” one shaped into a political agenda.
Revelation 3: The Emergency and Sanjay Gandhi
On the 1975 Emergency, Sonia Gandhi accepts that democratic rights were curtailed. But she argues that Sanjay Gandhi should not bear the blame alone, because senior colleagues also influenced Indira Gandhi. She writes that Rajiv Gandhi opposed the Emergency while Sanjay pushed for harsher steps against opposition leaders. She says Indira later understood the consequences and took corrective steps, and that tighter checks on Sanjay could have limited the damage.
Revelation 4: Operation Blue Star and Indira Gandhi’s Tears
One of the most emotional passages describes how Operation Blue Star in June 1984 weighed on Indira Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi recalls Indira weeping when she was shown photographs of the damage inside the Golden Temple. She also describes threats to Indira’s life and how Indira prepared the family for the possibility of her death, months before she was assassinated on 31 October 1984. Reports also said the book calls the 1984 riots a shameful chapter.
Revelation 5: Nitish Kumar and the INDIA Bloc
Politically, this is the most explosive part of the book. Sonia Gandhi describes Nitish Kumar’s departure from the INDIA bloc in January 2024, when he returned to the NDA, as a planned move rather than a sudden reaction. According to reports, the memoir says he was “looking for an opportunity to exit the INDIA bloc” and was under the BJP’s influence.
| Who | Reaction (11-12 Nov 2026) |
|---|---|
| JD(U) – Rajeev Ranjan Prasad | Alleged the memoir presents the alliance’s formation in a way meant to mislead readers |
| JD(U) – Sanjay Kumar Jha | Said Nitish Kumar laid the foundation of the INDIA alliance |
| JD(U) line | Called Nitish the “architect” of the INDIA bloc |
| Congress – Shakeel Ahmad Khan | Questioned JD(U)’s objection and backed the memoir’s account |
Nitish Kumar convened the first big opposition meeting in Patna in June 2023, which led to the formation of the INDIA bloc. His switch back to the NDA in January 2024 was a major blow to the opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Nitish stepped down as Bihar Chief Minister in April 2026 and moved to the Rajya Sabha, but remains JD(U) national president.
Revelation 6: Personal Loss and Health
The memoir is also deeply personal. Sonia Gandhi writes about her firstborn child, who was born prematurely in 1969 and did not survive, and recalls insisting that the baby’s remains be buried. She reveals that she secretly travelled to Europe and Italy for breast cancer treatment, and coverage says the book mentions a breast cancer diagnosis in 2010 followed by the discovery of a pancreatic growth about a year later. She also writes about her children’s quiet strength during those years.
Revelation 7: Italy, Her Passport and “Belonging”
The title “Belonging” speaks to the question opponents raised for years about her Italian origin. She writes that she kept her Italian passport for a time as a link to her homeland and her father, and because it made it easier to visit her parents. Those trips became rarer, and she says she “didn’t relate to the way of life there anymore.” Sonia Gandhi became an Indian citizen in 1983.
Other Reported Chapters
| Theme | Reported Content |
|---|---|
| Rajiv Gandhi’s death (1991) | Her grief, and a photograph she says she has never looked at since |
| Shah Bano case | Recalls questioning Rajiv over the government’s response |
| Bofors | Describes the campaign that haunted Rajiv’s final years as a “media trial” |
| Maneka Gandhi | Describes tensions in the family |
| Manmohan Singh | Why she chose him for PM, with Left support shaping the choice |
| Bharat Jodo Yatra | How it took shape; Rahul told her “Ma, things will change” |
| Ayodhya temple | Criticises the 2024 inauguration as a “spectacle” before the temple was ready |
Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee also reacted to the book’s references to her father’s prime ministerial ambitions, asking why anyone should be “shocked about his PM ambition”.
Sonia Gandhi Political Career Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Marries Rajiv Gandhi, moves to India |
| 1983 | Becomes Indian citizen |
| 1991 | Rajiv Gandhi assassinated; she declines party leadership |
| 1998 | Becomes Congress president |
| 1999 | Enters Lok Sabha from Amethi (and Bellary) |
| 2004 | Leads UPA to power; declines PM post |
| 2004-2014 | UPA chairperson; heads National Advisory Council |
| 2017 | Hands over party presidency to Rahul Gandhi |
| 2019-2022 | Interim Congress president |
| 2024 | Moves to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan |
| 2026 | Publishes memoir “Belonging” |
Also Read: INDIA Bloc vs CEC Gyanesh Kumar: Vote Chori Row Explained
Political Impact of the Memoir
Political memoirs in India often shape debate for months. “Belonging” comes at a time when the Congress is preparing for a heavy election calendar in 2027, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The book’s sharp comments on Modi give the BJP fresh lines of attack, while Congress leaders see it as setting the record straight on 2004 and on her role during UPA rule.
- For Congress: a personal narrative that humanises its senior-most leader and defends Rahul Gandhi’s politics
- For BJP: material to attack the Congress on the Emergency, Bofors and dynasty
- For JD(U): an uncomfortable reminder of Nitish Kumar’s switches, now a point of friction
- For INDIA bloc: raises questions about trust between allies
Also Read: Elections in 2027: Full List of State and National Polls
Sonia Gandhi’s Election Record
Although she never held a government post, Sonia Gandhi has been one of India’s most successful electoral politicians, winning every Lok Sabha contest she fought.
| Year | Seat | House | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Amethi and Bellary | Lok Sabha | Won both; kept Amethi |
| 2004 | Rae Bareli | Lok Sabha | Won |
| 2006 | Rae Bareli (by-election) | Lok Sabha | Won after resigning over office-of-profit row |
| 2009 | Rae Bareli | Lok Sabha | Won |
| 2014 | Rae Bareli | Lok Sabha | Won |
| 2019 | Rae Bareli | Lok Sabha | Won (only Congress seat in UP) |
| 2024 | Rajasthan | Rajya Sabha | Elected unopposed |
Earlier Books That Spoke About 2004
“Belonging” is not the first book to discuss why Sonia Gandhi did not become Prime Minister. Former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh wrote in his autobiography “One Life Is Not Enough” (2014) that Rahul Gandhi had opposed his mother taking the post out of fear for her life, a claim that Sonia Gandhi had then said she would answer in her own book. “Belonging” now gives her version, and it broadly agrees that her children were worried about her safety.
| Book | Author | Year | Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Life Is Not Enough | K. Natwar Singh | 2014 | Claimed Rahul opposed Sonia becoming PM |
| The Accidental Prime Minister | Sanjaya Baru | 2014 | Described power dynamics in UPA-I |
| The Coalition Years | Pranab Mukherjee | 2017 | His view of the UPA years |
| The Presidential Years | Pranab Mukherjee | 2021 | Comments on Congress leadership |
| Belonging: A Journey of Love | Sonia Gandhi | 2026 | Her own account for the first time |
The Nehru-Gandhi Family in the Memoir
| Family Member | Role in the Book |
|---|---|
| Indira Gandhi | Mother-in-law; Emergency, Blue Star and assassination in 1984 |
| Rajiv Gandhi | Husband; PM 1984-89, assassinated 1991 |
| Sanjay Gandhi | Brother-in-law; role during the Emergency |
| Maneka Gandhi | Sanjay’s wife; family tensions |
| Rahul Gandhi | Son; 2004 decision, Bharat Jodo Yatra |
| Priyanka Gandhi Vadra | Daughter; 2004 decision, family support during illness |
How BJP and Congress Are Likely to Use the Book
The memoir gives both sides material. The BJP is expected to focus on her defence of the Emergency era and of the Bofors years, and on her personal remarks about the Prime Minister. The Congress is expected to highlight her account of 2004 as proof of sacrifice, her criticism of exclusionary politics, and her description of the Bharat Jodo Yatra as a turning point. In Bihar, JD(U) has already made the Nitish Kumar chapter a political issue.
Key Quotes Reported from Belonging
- On Modi: “practically no real contact” beyond greetings at official events
- On his politics: an “exclusionary, hardened version of Hinduism”
- On Italy: she “didn’t relate to the way of life there anymore”
- On Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul told her, “Ma, things will change”
Why “Belonging” Matters Now
Sonia Gandhi has rarely given interviews and has almost never spoken in detail about her private life. For decades her opponents framed her through her Italian birth, while supporters saw her as the leader who held the Congress together after 1998 and led it to two national victories. The memoir is her attempt to answer both sides in her own words. Its timing, just ahead of a busy 2027 election calendar, also means every chapter will be read politically. For younger voters who know her mainly as Rahul Gandhi’s mother and a senior Rajya Sabha MP, the book is a reminder of how central she was to Indian politics between 1998 and 2014.
Election Guru Analysis
“Belonging” is part family history, part political defence. It answers questions Sonia Gandhi avoided for decades, especially on 2004, and it takes a clear position on Narendra Modi’s politics. Its biggest immediate effect has been in Bihar, where JD(U) has hit back hard. Expect the book to be quoted in Parliament and on campaign stages through the 2027 election season.
Sonia Gandhi Memoir Belonging FAQ
What is the name of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir?
The memoir is titled “Belonging: A Journey of Love”.
When was Sonia Gandhi’s book released?
The book was released in stores on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.
Who published Sonia Gandhi’s memoir in India?
HarperCollins India published it after Penguin Random House India declined to publish it in India.
Why did Sonia Gandhi not become PM in 2004?
According to the memoir, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi opposed the idea because they feared for her safety, and she kept to her decision even after party leaders urged her to reconsider.
What does the memoir say about Narendra Modi?
She says she has had practically no real contact with him, claims he avoids eye contact, and criticises his politics as an exclusionary form of Hinduism.
What does Sonia Gandhi say about Nitish Kumar?
She describes his January 2024 exit from the INDIA bloc as planned, saying he was looking for an opportunity to leave. JD(U) has rejected this, calling Nitish the architect of the bloc.
Does the memoir talk about Sonia Gandhi’s health?
Yes. She reveals she secretly travelled abroad for breast cancer treatment, and reports say the book mentions a later pancreatic growth.