The President of the Indian National Congress Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, who led her party to victory in the 2004 parliamentary elections in India and stepped back in favor of Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister, is still a key figure in Indian politics. Though often seen simply as the Italian widow of late Rajiv Gandhi pushed by chance in the leadership of the state or as a mere heir of the politically prominent Nehru-Gandhi family, Sonia Gandhi has the courage that India needs to continue with the major reforms into the 21st century.