The issue of late Pranab Mukherjee’s prime ministerial ambitions resurfaced on Tuesday with the worldwide launch of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s memoirs. In her book, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia said Mukherjee’s suggestion in 2010 about the need for a change of guard at the top shocked her, and that she read it as his long held urge to be PM.Reacting to Sonia Gandhi’s take, Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmishtha today asked if it was a crime to be ambitious.“What’s there to get shocked about? ls it a crime to be ambitious, especially when that ambition was supported by decades of experience in politics and governance, hard work and a brilliant mind?” Sharmishtha asked. She said once when asked if he wanted to become PM, Mukherjee candidly answered that any politician worth his salt had this ambition.“My father came from a very humble background. Whatever he achieved in his life was through sheer merit and hard work. There was no one to serve him positions, including PM-ship, on a platter due to dynastic entitlements. 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 and furthermore dared to hint it to her?” asked an angry Sharmishtha who wrote a book based on her father’s diaries.She added that Mukherjee did not hold it against Sonia that she chose Manmohan Singh as PM in 2004.”He was a pragmatic person with deep understanding. He understood her reasons and insecurities that all human beings are prone to,” Sharmishtha said.Importantly Pranab, in his book, “The Coalition Years” admitted that he hoped to be PM when Sonia declined the position in 2004 but Manmohan Singh was nominated instead. Mukherjee also says he was reluctant to serve under Singh, his junior, but agreed to join the Congress-led UPA government after Sonia’s insistence. Again in 2007, Sonia didn’t spare Mukherjee from the executive role even after Left parties backed his nomination as the UPA’s presidential nominee. Mukherjee eventually became the President in 2012.