The Sonia Factor

There has been a lot read & written about Sonia Gandhi , the outsider in India at the helm of the government.In the earlier election, BJP played the foreigner card and fell flat ( That;s not the only reason for loosing elections, but it dint work as a trump card either).\

Many times, I ask myself, how can Sonia be an outsider, according to me she is an astounding woman, & one of the best leaders that our country has had. She has been single handedly capable of uniting and leading the congress party which is a group of veterans from pre-independence era each having their own variant of the party manifesto.The whole congress juggernaut rode into power under her leadership.If not for her, there is no other leader who can unite the grand old party of India.

An astounding woman, who married into the first family of india and survived many personal disasters. Her husband & mother in law were asssasinated. and instead of going back to Italy, which she easily could have, she continued to bring her children up here as indians and then after a long stoic silence entered politics. Even now, she would be the prime target of many assasins out there. I dont know how many indian woman would do this?

I adore the way she handles herself, any small speck of dirt would be magnified in india and looked at through evilsh eyes, but she never gives way for trouble or controversy. Whether it is her remarks, interviews, dress sense and so on..it is always within the limits set by the public and her sphinx like silence is yet to be broken.

A good manager, she has picked and chosen a set of close aides who abide by her at all times. Here no polictical games, or public laundry wash is seen.

Sonia is a good strategizer too.She has learnt "what wins here" and played her tactics accordingly.Whether it is the "support from outside"factor or being the chair person of the UPA, the congress allies, the power vote on 123 agreement and so on.

No wonder she was featured in the most powerful women's list by Forbes. Presiding over the grand old party of India and being the hand behind the Central Government's wheel for the largest democratic and second fast growing country in the world can be no small feat...

Hat's off to her...