Rahul Gandhi

**Rahul Gandhi** (born 19 June 1970) is politician and member of the political party Congress party. He is currently serving as the 12th Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and MP from Raebareli. He has also represented Amethi and Wayanad constituency. He is a 5 term MP. He has also served as chief of Indian National Congress.

Gandhi completed his primary education in New Delhi and Dehradun. After his father became the Prime Minister, he was taught at home because of security problems. He studied at Rollins College under an assumed name. Later, he also attended Cambridge.

Gandhi entered politics in 2004 and won the elections from Amethi. Amethi is a constituency that was earlier held by his father in 1982.

On 23 March 2023, Gandhi was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment by a court in Surat, Gujarat, under charges of defamation because of remarks he had made against Modi during the an election campaign. On 24 March 2023, he was disqualified by the Lok Sabha speaker from the membership of the Parliament. The notification issued stated he was an Ex-MP and said that he was disqualified under Article 102 of the Constitution. On 4 August, Gandhi's conviction was stayed by the Supreme Court of India pending appea<nowiki/>l and he was found innocent. Later he got his seat and membership of parliament again.

## Early life

Rahul Gandhi was born in Panjab region on 19 June 1970. He was the first of the two children of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. His family is well known for having a special place in Indian politics. His father later became the Prime Minister of India. His mother became the President of the Indian National Congress.  His paternal grandfather Feroze Gandhi was a Zorostrian from Gujarat. Priyanka Vadra is his younger sister and Robert Vadra is his brother-in-law.  He identifies himself as a Hindu.

Rahul Gandhi attended St. Columba's School, Delhi. He studied at The Doon School in Dehradun, Uttarakhand from 1981 to 1983. Due to the security threats faced by the family from Khalistani militants after Indira Gandhi's assassination, he was later home-schooled.

Rahul Gandhi joined Guru Nanak College, Delhi in 1989 for his undergraduate education. However, he moved to Harvard University after he completed the first year examinations. In 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the Tamil Tigers. After the assassination, Rahul Gandhi shifted to Rollins College in Florida, USA, due to security problems. While he was at Rollins College, he used Raul Vinci as his name for security purposes. His real name was known only to a few university officials and security agencies. He later studied at Trinity College Cambridge.

After graduation, Rahul Gandhi worked at the Monitor Group, a management consulting firm, in London. In 2002, he became one of the directors of Mumbai-based technology outsourcing firm Backops Services Private Ltd.

## Political Career

Rahul Gandhi's political career started in March 2004 when he said that he would become a candidate for the Amethi region for the elections held in India in May 2004. The Amethi region had earlier been held by his father, Rajiv Gandhi and then his mother Sonia Gandhi, who later chose another region to become a candidate from.

Rahul Gandhi has been subject to various nicknames and characterizations in Indian media and politics. One prominent derogatory nickname, "Pappu," has been used by critics to portray him as inexperienced or lacking in maturity. The term, which originated in popular Indian culture, including references in comedy shows, gained traction during the rise of social media in the 2010s. Opponents, including members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have amplified this image, while Gandhi's supporters have dismissed it as politically motivated misinformation.

## Political campaigns and marches

In September 2022, Gandhi led the "Bharat Jodo Yatra," a 3,500-kilometre (2,200-mile) foot march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, aimed at promoting national unity and addressing concerns such as unemployment, inflation, and communal harmony.

In January 2024, he organized a follow-up initiative, the "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra," covering over 6,700 kilometres (4,200 miles) from Manipur to Mumbai. This march focused on justice-related themes, including ethnic conflicts and economic disparities, and included meetings with local communities. Both yatras were part of the Indian National Congress's efforts to mobilize public support ahead of elections, drawing both acclaim for their scale and skepticism regarding their electoral outcomes.

## Further reading

- Sardesai, Rajdeep. _2014: The Election that Changed India_ (2014) Excerpt

## Other websites

- Profile  at Indian National Congress
- Biography Profile at Lok Sabha, Parliament of India

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## Infobox (officeholder)

- **embed**: yes
- **office5**: List of Presidents of the Indian National Congress, President of the Indian National Congress
- **term start5**: 16 December 2017
- **term end5**: 10 August 2019
- **predecessor5**: Sonia Gandhi
- **successor5**: Sonia Gandhi _(interim)_
Mallikarjun Kharge
- **office6**: Vice-President of the Indian National Congress
- **predecessor6**: Jitendra Prasada
- **president6**: Sonia Gandhi
- **term start6**: 19 January 2013
- **term end6**: 16 December 2017
- **office7**: General Secretary of Indian National Congress
- **president7**: Sonia Gandhi
- **term start7**: 25 September 2007
- **term end7**: 19 January 2013
- **office8**: General Secretary of Indian Youth Congress
- **term start8**: 25 September 2007
- **predecessor8**: _position established_
- **office9**: General Secretary of National Students' Union of India
- **term start9**: 25 September 2007
- **term end9**: 26 October 2022
- **predecessor9**: _position established_
- **successor9**: Mallikarjun Kharge


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Rahul Gandhi
- **image**: Rahul Gandhi.png
- **office**: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha
- **primeminister**: Narendra Modi
- **predecessor**: Sushma Swaraj (2014)
- **deputy**: Gaurav Gogoi
- **term start**: 9 June 2024
- **office1**: Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
- **constituency1**: Raebareli (Lok Sabha constituency), Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh
- **term start1**: 4 June 2024
- **predecessor1**: Sonia Gandhi
- **constituency3**: Wayanad (Lok Sabha constituency), Wayanad, Kerala
- **term start2**: 7 August 2023
- **term end2**: 17 June 2024

- **predecessor3**: M. I. Shanavas
- **successor3**: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
- **term start4**: 17 May 2004
- **term end4**: 23 May 2019
- **predecessor4**: Sonia Gandhi
- **successor4**: Smriti Irani
- **constituency4**: Amethi (Lok Sabha constituency), Amethi, Uttar Pradesh
- **birth name**: Rahul Rajiv Gandhi
- **birth place**: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- **alma mater**: The Doon School
Rollins College (Bachelor of Arts, B.A.)
Trinity College, Cambridge (Master of Philosophy, M. Phil. Development Studies)
- **party**: Indian National Congress
- **parents**: Rajiv Gandhi (father)
Sonia Gandhi (mother)
- **relatives**: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (sister)
_Nehru–Gandhi family_
- **signature**: Signature of Rahul_Gandhi.svg