After the death of Sanjay, Rajiv joined Indian politics. Yet Sonia was at the back of it. The circumstances made Rajiv the Prime Minister of India after Indira. Sonia helped Rajiv in his job. Later in 1989 elections, Rajiv was voted out. During the next election campaigns in 1991, he was trying to make a comeback at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, when he was killed so tragically on May 21, 1991.

It was really a great shock to the family. Sonia had to start a new chapter of her life, a life without Rajiv. She has preferred to remain an Indian. Sonia Gandhi is not only the most popular Indian women but also she has appeared in the list of the powerful women of a world. The way by which she declined the post of the Prime Minister of India has proved her to be true Indian.

She, in the course, became the first-ever person to decline the post of the PM, and amazed the whole world. As an as true politician, she claims she was always clear in her mind that she would not accept the post of Prime Minister even if it came her way. She remained outside Congress politics till 1998.

However, gradually, after 2 years of Congress primary membership, she was elected the Congress president in 1998. Her record as Congress president in the last ten years is a grand success on one hand, and tension on the other. Finally her party was in position to form govt., at the Centre and she was to become the Prime Minister. But she declined this highest Parliamentary post. It symbolizes her sense of sacrifice.