Sonia Gandhi turns 65

Congress President Sonia Gandhi turns 65 today. Ms Gandhi, a day before, had asked Congress party workers not to make fuss over her birthday. Like last year, keeping in view of the inconvenience caused to people, she has appealed to the party workers not to come to Delhi on her birthday.

Sonia Gandhi underwent a major surgery this year for an undisclosed ailment. The Congress leader made her first public appearance on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2 after her surgery in August.

Here's a look back at the political journey of Sonia Gandhi who was handed the post of Congress President in April 1998. She has since been re-elected four times in a row.

Sonia's story is one of extreme makeover. Traversing the journey from being the Italian-born wife of Rajiv Gandhi to one of India's most successful politicos. Here's a look at how she carved a niche for herself in the arena of Indian politics.

It was exactly 13 years ago that members of the Congress Working Committee turned against the incumbent Sitaram Kesri to hand over the organisational reins to Sonia Gandhi in the hope that it would help the party regain its lost glory.

But few would have imagined the turnaround in the party's fortunes that Sonia has scripted since the day she took over a party that faced the existential crisis.

Sonia faced a tough task- that of rejuvenating a party that had lost the pole position to a resurgent BJP in 1996. Also lost in the gamble were crucial constituencies of Muslims, OBCs and dalits in north India.

When Sonia arrived on the scene, many suspected that her "foreign origin" would become a huge political handicap. But that was not to be. In just over a decade, the fortunes have been reversed with Congress regaining the number one slot and appearing well on its way to establish the ascendancy it has traditionally enjoyed.

Under Sonia's leadership, Congress has come a long way- setting agendas, taking risks, and pushing for change. Giving a concrete shape to Rajiv Gandhi's vision of empowering the women of India, Sonia Gandhi paved the way for Women's Reservation Bill that ensures 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative bodies. Despite the fact that it jeopardized her party's position, she remained committed to the Bill that spoke volumes about her strength.

Sonia joined India's political dynasty simply by virtue of her marriage to the political heir of the country's most powerful family, Rajiv Gandhi. Power and fame were thrust upon Sonia and her baptism into Indian politics complete.

Sonia Gandhi became a citizen of India in 1983 and its first lady in 1984 and remained at the forefront of India's domestic and international political life.

After her husband's assassination, Sonia Gandhi became a virtual recluse for the next six years. She resisted Congress attempts to persuade her to step into Rajiv`s shoes and eschewed politics for some years.

She officially took charge of the Congress party in 1998 after party members convinced her that her charisma could help restore the 119-year old Congress party.

She criss-crossed the country, delivering speeches to packed audiences. And, even with her heavily accented Hindi, she managed to strike a chord with the aam aadmi.

Giving a concrete shape to Rajiv Gandhi's vision of empowering the women of India, Sonia Gandhi paved the way for Women's Reservation Bill that ensures 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative bodies. Despite the fact that it jeopardized her party's position, she remained committed to the Bill that spoke volumes about her strength.

And now, her son Rahul Gandhi is looked upon as her political successor and the future prime minister of India. However, daughter Priyanka has preferred to keep herself away from the world of politics.

The Congress Party was re-energised and Gandhi emerged as a political power in her own right, beating her political rivals at their own game.

In 2004, after serving as president of India's Congress Party, she was called upon by Members of Parliament to take up the reins of prime minister—the country's first foreign-born prime minister.

On Tuesday, May 17, during a meeting of the Congress party, Gandhi made a declaration that shocked the nation and the world. "I was always certain," she said, "that if ever I found myself in the position that I am in today, I would follow my inner voice. Today, that voice tells me that I must humbly decline this post."

The day after her announcement, Gandhi nominated long-time friend Manmohan Singh to take the reigns as prime minister. Although Gandhi did not accept the country's top post, she remained at the helm of the Congress party, and is still considered to be very much in the forefront of Indian politics.

An influential person in Indian politics, she was named the third most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine in the year 2004 and was ranked 6th in 2007. She was also named among the Time 100 most influential people in the world for the years 2007 and 2008.

Under her leadership, India returned the Congress-led-UPA to a near majority in the 2009 general elections with Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister.