Sharmistha Mukherjee has publicly defended her late father, former President Pranab Mukherjee, following revelations in Sonia Gandhi’s newly released memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey Of Love'. In the book, the former Congress president recounts a 2010 conversation in which Pranab Mukherjee suggested a "change at the top," an interaction Gandhi describes as having "shocked" her because she interpreted it as a signal of his desire to become prime minister.
Responding to the memoir, Sharmistha Mukherjee questioned why such an ambition would be viewed with shock. "What's there to get 'shocked' about? Is it a crime to be ambitious, especially when that 'ambition' was supported by decades of experience in politics & governance, hard work & a brilliant mind?" she asked. She further noted that her father had risen through the ranks based on merit rather than dynastic entitlement, adding, "If a well-deserving person harbours ambition to become Prime Minister, what's wrong in that, unless Sonia ji was 'shocked' by the fact that anyone outside Gandhi-Nehru family could even dare to nurture such an ambition & furthermore dared to 'hint' it to her?"
In her memoir, Gandhi writes that she deflected the 2010 conversation by changing the subject. She notes that while Pranab Mukherjee may have been disappointed, "he never made me feel he held it against me." Sharmistha Mukherjee corroborated this assessment, describing her father as a "pragmatic person" who understood the human insecurities of others. She stated that based on his diaries and personal conversations, she could reassure Gandhi that he did not harbor resentment over the matter.
Gandhi’s book also details Pranab Mukherjee’s long history within the Congress party, noting that he felt "side-stepped" when Rajiv Gandhi was selected as prime minister in 1984, leading him to briefly leave the party to form his own before returning in 1989. Despite this, Gandhi highlights his "encyclopaedic mind" and scholarly nature, noting that the party eventually nominated him for the presidency in 2012. She writes that she frequently visited him during his tenure as President to converse with the "erudite and knowledgeable politician."
