Sonia to become Cong president for 4th time

New Delhi: Sonia Gandhi is most likely to be elected as the Congress president for a record fourth consecutive term.

She will file her nomination on Thursday. Sonia's tenure as Congress president, especially after Congress came to power in 2004, has had its share of controversy – for encouraging 2 power centers, the PMO and 10 Janpath. Sonia is the longest serving party president in the 125-year history of the Congress. She assumed office in 1998.

Sonia as president led the Congress back to power after over a decade and for the first time Congress dabbled in coalition politics with a non-Gandhi as prime minister.

With no competition, Sonia Gandhi is expected to emerge as the a winner by Friday. However, if no other leader enters the fray, the result could be declared immediately.

She was elected unopposed twice in the past in 1998 and 2005. But in 2000, senior Congress leader from UP Jitendra Prasad ran against her and lost.

Sonia Gandhi had joined Congress party after a lot of persuasion. She had refused to step into the shoes of Prime Minister after her husband Rajiv Gandhi's death in 1991.

She relented when senior leaders like Madhavrao Scindhia, Rajesh Pilot openly revolted against then party president Sitaram Kesri.

Sonia joined the Congress in 1997, and became party president a year later. She contested Lok Sabha elections from Bellary and Amethi in 1999. And was reelected to the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli in 2004 and 2009.