Sonia Gandhi Releases Memoir Detailing Rivalry With Narendra Modi

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi released her 544-page memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, on November 10, 2026. Published by HarperCollins in India and Alfred A. Knopf in the United States, the book chronicles her life from childhood in Italy to her political career in India, including her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi and her battle with breast cancer.

In the memoir, Gandhi characterizes her rivalry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a clash of ideological visions rather than a personal feud. She describes her own vision as one of inclusiveness and secularism, contrasting it with a vision she attributes to the influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Gandhi reveals she has had practically no real contact with Modi during his twelve-year tenure, noting that their rare interactions are limited to formal greetings where he avoids eye contact.

The book also details Gandhi's decision to decline the premiership following the 2004 general elections. She recounts internal conflict and pressure from alliance leaders, as well as opposition from her children, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, who feared for her safety. She explains her selection of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister based on his integrity and economic expertise.

The publication followed a dispute with Penguin Random House India, which withdrew from the project in August. Gandhi attributes this to the publisher's unease with government criticism, a claim the publisher disputes. Upon the book's release, Rahul Gandhi praised the work, stating it was the right decision.