Gandhi Stakes Her Claim to Lead a Rattled India

[Zomby Woof]

By AMY WALDMAN

Published: May 18, 2004

NEW DELHI, May 17 — Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born leader of the Indian National Congress party, will formally stake claim to be India's next prime minister on Tuesday, party officials said Monday night. The announcement came after the country's stock market recorded its biggest single-day fall amid concerns over the new government's approach to economic reforms.

Mrs. Gandhi is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday. But before she takes office, she is facing formidable political and economic challenges.

The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which lost to the Congress party in an upset last week, said Monday that it would boycott Mrs. Gandhi's inauguration to protest her foreign origin and would continue to raise the issue. The Communist parties allied with Mrs. Gandhi's party said they would support the new government, but not join it, which could make policy consensus more difficult.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/18/international/asia/18INDI.html?ex=1085544000&en=32d6735d9a6d89fe&ei=5043&partner=EXCITE

[Eurobabe]

1. that's not what I just read? am I misinterpreting?

Gandhi Reportedly Gives Up Her Bid to Lead India
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 8:51 a.m. ET

NEW DELHI (AP) -- Sonia Gandhi no longer wants to be India's first foreign-born prime minister, members of her Congress party and its allies said Tuesday, citing security fears that overshadow the country's top political dynasty.

Sitaram Yechury, a member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, a Congress party ally was told that she would not be prime minister.

more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-India-Elections.html?hp

[Zomby Woof]

2. same source

Obviously, in a matter of hours she changed her mind...?

[IronLionZion]

4. women can be like that

you never know what they're going to do!

j/k

I heard she dropped out because President Kalam didn't seem confident in having her as PM. She is somewhat divisive and needs the support of left-wing communist parties (they're not really communist) to form a government, but they want to destroy the economy and socialize everything. Congress party has the right ideas that balance trade with social programs for the poor but they don't have enough MP's to form a government on their own.

[54anickel]

3. Saw the same reported here on their Stock Market

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/683328.cms

MUMBAI: Indian shares registered the steepest gain ever Monday as Congress party president Sonia Gandhi declined to become the prime minister and former finance minister Manmohan Singh emerging as a frontrunner for the post.

Even as the leaders of Congress party and its allies began persuading Gandhi to reconsider her decision, the sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) shot up by over 100 points in a matter of few minutes.

more...

Also saw another thread somewhere stating the same thing.

edit to add
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x562881