Sonia Gandhi reveals why she didn't become Prime-Minister in 2004

Sonia Gandhi, who is a Member of Parliament from Rae Bareli, said that she would contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the same constituency if her party decides so. The former Congress President added, "Whatever decision the party takes."

71-year-old Gandhi, who was Congress President for 19 years, was replaced by her son Rahul Gandhi in December 2017 after internal party elections.

When asked whether she advises Rahul, Sonia said: "I am there if he needs me. I try not to volunteer. He wants to revitalize the party by bringing in new faces along with senior leaders."

She added, "He wants a balance of young and the seniors. It is not an easy task. But he...made it clear that he values seniors' role and contributions."

Gandhi also feels the Congress needs to develop a new style of connecting with people at the organizational level.

"We also need to look at a way of how we project our programmes and policies," she said.

She was also candid in saying that she found more time for herself after demitting the post of Congress president which she held for 19 years.

Sonia Gandhi said, "I have more time for myself...to read and watch movies. I am also tiding up old papers of my mother-in-law (Indira Gandhi) and husband (Rajiv Gandhi). I will digitalize them."

She also added, "The papers are letters written by my mother-in-law to her son (Rajiv) and his replies. They are of sentimental value for me."

Speaking on Congress's 2014 loss, she said besides "other issues", the UPA government faced anti-incumbency for being in power for two terms.

"We were out-marketed. We could not compete with how Narendra Modi ran his campaign," she admitted.

On Modi, she said," I don't know him as a person. During Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time, we were bitter opponents. But still, we functioned well."

Asked what advice she would give to PM Modi, Gandhi quipped," I wouldn't dare to advise him. There are many people around him to do so."

She was optimistic about Congress bouncing back in 2019. "We are not going to let BJP/NDA win," Gandhi said.

On the Congress's preparedness for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Sonia said she wasn't fond of slogans and empty promises.

"Don't lie to the people and promise what you can't implement," Gandhi said in an apparent barb at PM Modi.

She rejected that Congress was taking up "soft Hindutva" approach.

"Our opponents have branded us as a Muslim party. We have been visiting temples earlier too, but never made a show of it," she responded to a question on Rahul's temple-visits during Gujarat polls.