Sonia Gandhi ranks 9th in Forbes list of most powerful person

New Delhi, Mar 10 (ANI): UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been ranked ninth in the Forbes list of the world's most powerful people that is headed by Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has been placed at number 18 among the world's top 20 powerful people.

Sonia Gandhi has been described as a person who wields unequaled influence over 1.2 billion Indians and "after being elected as Congress President for the record fourth term, she has cemented her status as the true heiress to the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty."

While, Dr. described Singh as 'soft-spoken, Oxford-trained economist credited with transforming India's quasi-socialist economy into the world's second-fastest growing'.

The other Indians who have made to the list include Reliance Industries CMD Mukesh Ambani and NRI industrialist Lakshmi Mittal who are ranked 34th and 44th respectively.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, who rules over one-fifth of the world's population has been described as a person who "unlike Western counterparts, can divert rivers, build cities, jail dissidents and censor internet without meddling from pesky bureaucrats, courts."

US President Barack Obama has been placed at number second while Saudi King Abdullah stands as the third most powerful man.

Pakistan's Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has been placed at 29th in the list, while Osama Bin Laden is at 57th and India's most wanted Dawood Ibrahim is at 63th spot.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin holds the fourth place and Pope Benedict XVI has been placed fifth, while the German Chancellor is at the sixth place, British Prime Minister David Cameron at seventh and Chairman of US Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke is at eight place in the list. (ANI)