Sonia won't make me PM: Pranab told daughter Sharmistha after 2004 drama

livemint.com:

Pranab Mukherjee, recalls her father’s response— in her upcoming book "In Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Remembers"— when he was asked about his chances of becoming the prime minister in 2004, the former President said Sonia will not make him prime minister, reported PTI. Sharmistha, while providing a glimpse into the illustrious life of her father in the book, says the former president did not have any bitterness against Sonia Gandhi for not making him the prime minister, and also not against the man chosen for the post—Manmohan Singh.

Also Read | India to become third largest economy in the world by 2030: S&P Global In the book, Sharmistha uncovers new, hitherto unknown facets of his political life - his unfulfilled ambition of becoming India's prime minister arising out of his inability to emerge as the 'number one person' to earn Sonia Gandhi's trust, the personality cult around the Nehru-Gandhi family and Rahul Gandhi's lack of charisma and political understanding among other things, according to the book's publishers Rupa Publications. Pranab Mukherjee, who served as commerce minister (1993–95), external affairs minister (1995–96 and 2006–09), defence minister (2004–06), and finance minister (2009–12).

He was India's 13th president (2012 to 2017). He died on August 31, 2020 at the age of 84.

After 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Congress emerged as the single largest party and its president Sonia Gandhi was tipped to be the prime minister, but she renounced her claim and proposed the name of Manmohan Singh instead of top contender Pranab Mukherjee. In the chapter titled "The PM India Never Had", Sharmistha also writes: "Following Sonia's decision to withdraw from the prime ministerial race, there was intense speculation