In her memoir "Belonging: A Journey of Love," former Congress president Sonia Gandhi reveals a conversation with Pranab Mukherjee in 2010 where he hinted at his long-standing aspiration to become prime minister. Mukherjee suggested a change at the top, surprising Gandhi. In the book, she also defends herself against allegations of being a 'back-seat driver' during Manmohan Singh's tenure as prime minister from 2004 to 2014. The memoir describes an "unspoken division of responsibility" between Gandhi and Singh, with a core group meeting the prime minister weekly for coordination between the party and government. Mukherjee reportedly had differences with finance minister P Chidambaram, and in 2010, he hinted at his desire to become prime minister, which Gandhi gently diverted without causing offense. The Congress nominated Mukherjee as the UPA's presidential candidate in 2012, who was subsequently elected. Gandhi defends herself against allegations of wielding real power during the UPA years, stating that these were unfounded and malicious. She also mentions a book by one of Singh's former aides reaffirming these allegations, which she claims were baseless and damaging to her reputation. Gandhi notes that her relationship with Manmohan Singh was based on mutual trust and respect, despite opposition and media attempts to portray her as the 'back-seat driver.'