Tag Archives: President of the Indian National Congress

Sonia Gandhi: World’s Fourth Richest Politician

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Sonia Gandhi is the world’s fourth richest politician, said Business Insider, a U.S. based internet news aggregator and publisher. As per the report, the UPA chairperson’s wealth is currently valued at $2-19 billion (Rs 10,000-45,000 crore).

The wide range given, $2-19 billion is a giveaway that these numbers may have been plucked out of a hat.

As per Netapedia, an online encyclopedia about India’s politicians and the political events, Sonia Gandhi has movable assets worth 1, 17, 70,468 and immovable assets worth 20, 24,300. This financial information was as per affidavit filed before the 2009 general elections.

Firstpost’s own estimate, based on income disclosed by Sonia Gandhi during the last general elections and the income-generating assets she owns, suggests that her annual income cannot be more than Rs 50-75 lakh.

Given the wide range within which her assumed wealth is estimated, it is obvious that Business Insider is not sure what the numbers really are. The online publication has sourced the story to a website called ‘World’s Luxury Guide’. Luxury Guide in turn traces its information to five other sources like OpenSecrets.org, Forbes.com, Bloomberg.com, Wikipedia.org, and Guardian.co.uk.

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WIll work on plan to correct mistakes we have made: Sonia Gandhi

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Acknowledging “mistakes” in the just concluded Assembly elections, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday indicated that the party would work out a plan to correct them.

“This is something we will have to discuss within and decide. We have to sit down and look at the situation and results in every state and then together work out a plan to correct the mistakes that we have made,” Gandhi said.

She was talking to reporters at the AICC headquarters here after reviewing the party’s performance in her one to one meeting with Congress office bearers.

“Every election is a lesson for us. Whether we win or lose, every election has a lesson for us,” she said.

To a volley of questions on the reasons that led to the party’s defeat in UP, Punjab and Goa, Gandhi admitted that “wrong choice of candidates” is also one among the many reasons.

“Many voters from Goa were unhappy with us and they voted against us,” Gandhi said. There is a view in the party that controversies surrounding the issue of illegal mining and the allegations against its Chief Minister Digambar Kamat was one reason why the party lost there.

While admitting that wrong choice of candidates resulted in setting up rebel candidates in many constituencies that led to the defeat of official party nominees, she said, “We did have better hopes for Punjab.”

To a question on whether it was lack of leaders that damaged party in these elections, a smiling Gandhi said, “rather than lack of leadership, too many leaders is perhaps our problem.”

Agency: PTI

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