- Became president of Indian National Congress (founded 1879) party on March 14, 1998.
- On May 18, 2004 she declined the post of the 17th Prime Minister of India despite pressure from her Congress Party followers. Congress party had emerged as the single largest party of the alliance which barely managed to secure the majority in the the National elections. She stepped down in favour of Dr Manmohan Singh.
- Became a full-fledged Indian citizen in 1984.
- Her estimated net worth is $19.2 million.
- Attended Bell Educational Trust.
- Despite being merely a party leader, she's somehow exempted from any security check at airports across India. Such a cover is availed only by either the Presidents of India, the Prime Ministers, the union cabinet ministers, union ministers of state, chief ministers or governors.
- As per Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's 1st term spokesman Sanjaya Baru, Sonia Gandhi held unprecedented authority over government decision making in her capacity as the chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance and was dubbed the "Supra-Prime Minister" Of India during the entirety of both of Singh's terms.
- Barring election campaigning, she has never visited her constituency of Rae Bareli despite winning 6 consecutive terms to the Indian parliament from there.
- Did not apply for an Indian citizenship until 1980 when her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi returned to power as Prime Minister.
- Her father served with the Italian contingent of the Axis Forces during Operation Barbarossa, the code name for the invasion of the Soviet Union during the Second World War.
- Was instrumental in getting her brother-in-law Sanjay's wife Meneka Gandhi and his infant son Varun thrown out of the Prime Minister's house shortly after Sanjay's death in 1980.
- Although she ran the Congress campaigns during Union Elections based upon secularism, several people from her inner circle have mentioned Gandhi of making disparaging remarks towards Hinduism, even calling it a "pagan cult" at one point.
- Had a long stand dislike for veteran Congress strongman and popular Prime Minister P.V. Narsimha Rao. She declined Rao's body to be kept at the Congress Headquarters in New Delhi for final respects before a state funeral, as accorded to most former Prime Ministers upon their demise.
- Was engaged in a bitter power struggle for control over the reins of the Congress party apparatus with grassroots strongmen and experienced cabinet ministers Rajesh Pilot and Madhavrao Scindia. Both men died in mysterious circumstances, Scindia in a plane crash and Pilot in a deadly car accident.
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