New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi is celebrating her 69th birthday today. At present, even though Mallikarjun Kharge is Congress's national president today, it cannot be denied that Kharge could have sat on the chair by defeating Shashi Tharoor in the elections without Sonia Gandhi's consent. However, this is not the first time that Sonia Gandhi has worked behind the scenes to keep the reins of the party in her hands. Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and former Congress President Sitaram Kesri have also been victims of this.    

Sonia Gandhi was so angry with Narasimha Rao that the former Prime Minister of the country was not even given a place in Delhi for his funeral. Even after being a veteran Congressman, Sonia Gandhi did not allow his body to enter the Congress headquarters. Later, seeing Sitaram Kesari's stature increasing, Sonia Gandhi also expelled him from the party. Sitaram Kesri's departure was worse than Narasimha Rao's. Veteran Gandhian and freedom fighter Sitaram Kesri was actually thrown on the road by Sonia Gandhi loyalists after the 12th Lok Sabha (1998) election. In this election, Sonia Gandhi held more than 130 rallies. But, even after this, the Congress was reduced to 142 seats. Even the Congress lost its traditional stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

A pro-Sonia faction of the Congress blamed Kesari for the defeat. However, Kesari did not hold a single rally in this election. However, it was argued that "the Congress did not benefit from Sonia Gandhi's charisma due to Kesari's weak leadership". In fact, the political ground was being prepared by leaders loyal to Congress to increase Sonia Gandhi's stature. Sonia Gandhi loyalists alleged that Kesari failed to hold talks with south Indian leaders as he did not know English. Even Kesari, a freedom fighter, was labeled anti-Savarna. Kesari belonged to the OBC caste. He was accused of conspiring with socialists like Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad Yadav.  

Sitaram Kesari resigned from the post of President on March 9, 1998. However, shortly after this, he immediately took a U-turn and withdrew his resignation. Kesari had decided to step down from the post in the open session of the AICC and on the day of his choice. However, on March 14, 1998, a meeting of the Congress Working Committee was held at 24, Akbar Road. Kesari also attended this meeting. But Kesari was unaware that he had already been stabbed in the back. Sonia Gandhi's supporters had earlier decided to present two proposals at a meeting at Pranab Mukherjee's residence. The first proposal was to remove Sitaram Kesri and the second was to make Sonia Gandhi sit on the chair of national president.

Sitaram Kesari also got to know the truth in a short time. At the meeting, only Tariq Anwar stood up to greet him. Pranab Mukherjee thanked Kesari for his service to the party, in a way, this thank you was a sign of Kesari's journey to end soon. After this, Kesari got up from the meeting and left. Tariq Anwar walked back and forth to his room. A group of leaders led by Manmohan Singh went to convince him, but Kesari flatly refused to come back. Political pundits also say that after this Kesari imprisoned himself in a room. After this, the room was opened and Kesari was forced to sign the resignation paper.

After this, Sonia Gandhi reached the Congress headquarters. While Sitaram Kesari was going to sit in his car at that time youth Congress workers also tried to pull his dhoti. By the time Kesari came out of 24 Akbar Road, the nameplate bearing his name had also been torn and thrown into the dustbin and a new printout had been put up at the spot that read: 'Congress President Sonia Gandhi'.

MPs kept waiting for the meeting, Sonia left for Rajasthan to celebrate birthday

UNSC hails signing of political framework deal in Sudan

Pratibha Singh openly expresses her right to CM chair of Himachal, Congress in trouble