New Delhi: In a startling revelation, former President Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee claimed that her father wanted to become Prime Minister but could not as Sonia Gandhi thought that he could challenge her authority.

He wanted to become the PM, but he knew that he couldn’t

She quoted her father saying that Sonia Gandhi took steps to ensure the interests of her family are safeguarded.

“He wanted to become the PM, but he knew that he couldn’t. Therefore, he was not in some disillusionment that he would become a PM one day…I asked him once if he wanted to become a PM and he said yes. He said that any serious politician would like to become one but that doesn’t mean that I’d become the PM,” said Sharmistha quoting her father.

Sharmistha Mukherjee said her father thought that Sonia Gandhi may have assumed that he might challenge her authority. “When I asked him whether he would have done that, to this he said that the question was not whether I would have challenged it or not but she felt that…Sonia Gandhi safeguarded her own and her family’s interest so they made someone PM whom they felt would not challenge her authority,” said Sharmistha Mukherjee.

In 2004, following Sonia Gandhi’s refusal to assume the PM position despite the Congress party’s triumph, Pranab Mukherjee and Manmohan Singh emerged as primary contenders for the coveted role. Eventually, the Congress party selected Manmohan Singh over Pranab Mukherjee, leaving Pranab’s aspiration of becoming the Prime Minister unfulfilled. Consequently, Pranab Mukherjee is frequently referred to as “the PM India never had.”