Rahul Rajiv Gandhi, born June 19, 1970

He is an Indian politician with the Indian National Congress (INC). He is the 12th Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and represents Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, since June 2024. He previously served Wayanad, Kerala (2019-2024) and Amethi, Uttar Pradesh (2004-2019). Gandhi was INC President from December 2017 to July 2019 and chairs the Indian Youth Congress and National Students’ Union of India, while also being a trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Charitable Trust. He belongs to the Nehru–Gandhi family.

Born in New Delhi and raised between Delhi and Dehradun, Gandhi attended The Doon School and was later home-schooled. He started his undergraduate studies at St. Stephen’s College, then transferred to Harvard University and Rollins College in Florida due to security concerns. He completed his degree in 1994 and earned an M.Phil. from Cambridge in 1995. Gandhi began his career at the Monitor Group in London before founding Backops Services Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai.

Gandhi first won a Lok Sabha seat from Amethi in 2004 and was re-elected in 2009 and 2014. He led the INC in the 2014 and 2019 general elections, which resulted in significant losses. He has been a member of various Parliamentary Committees. Before the 2024 elections, he led the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, helping the INC secure 99 seats and regain Official Opposition status. He succeeded his mother, Sonia Gandhi, as the MP for Rae Bareli.

Politics:

In March 2004, Rahul Gandhi announced his entry into politics by running for the Lok Sabha from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, a seat once held by his mother. His announcement surprised many, as his sister Priyanka was seen as the more likely successor. Gandhi’s entry was expected to energize the Congress party among younger voters. In his first foreign media interview, he positioned himself as a unifier aiming to reduce caste and religious tensions.

In the 2004 general elections, the Congress party returned to power after eight years, winning 145 seats and forming a coalition government. Gandhi won his seat in Amethi by over 100,000 votes, reinforcing his family’s influence in Uttar Pradesh. Despite the victory, Congress performed poorly in Uttar Pradesh, securing only 10 of the 80 seats. Gandhi did not hold a government position but served on the Standing Committees for Home Affairs (2004-2006) and Human Resource Development (2006-2009).

Rahul and Priyanka managed their mother’s successful re-election campaign in Raebareli in 2006, with a victory margin of over 400,000 votes. He played a key role in the Congress campaign for the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, where the party only won 22 of 403 seats. On September 24, 2007, Gandhi was appointed General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, overseeing the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India.

Youth Politics:

In September 2007, Rahul Gandhi was appointed General Secretary of both the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). Under his leadership, both organizations saw substantial growth, with IYC’s membership increasing from 200,000 to 2.5 million. Gandhi’s tenure involved restructuring the IYC to enhance its democratic processes and inclusivity.

In November 2008, he conducted interviews at his residence in New Delhi to select members for the IYC’s think tank. By 2009, during a visit to West Bengal, the Youth Congress’s membership soared to 1 million. In Uttar Pradesh, membership growth jumped from 10-15 new members daily to 150-200 following his visit.

As General Secretary of the NSUI, Gandhi strengthened the organization and boosted student engagement in politics. He launched initiatives to address key student issues, including education quality, employment, and social justice, while advocating for increased student representation in decision-making and supporting student leaders.

Elections Campaign:

2009
For the 2009 Indian general election, Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively across 22 states and 107 constituencies, focusing on rural development, education, employment, and women’s empowerment. He also emphasized the need for increased youth participation in politics. Despite pre-election predictions, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) secured a clear mandate, though it did not achieve an outright majority. Congress emerged as the largest party, forming a coalition government. Gandhi retained his Amethi seat with a margin of over 370,000 votes and played a key role in Congress‘s revival in Uttar Pradesh, where the party won 21 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats.

2014
In the 2014 general election, Gandhi led the Congress campaign and contested from Amethi. He won his seat by a reduced margin of 107,000 votes against BJP‘s Smriti Irani. However, Congress suffered a historic defeat, securing only 44 seats compared to 206 in 2009, and the UPA won just 59 seats. Gandhi offered to resign following the defeat, but his resignation was declined by the party’s working committee.

2019
Gandhi led the Congress campaign for the 2019 elections, introducing the “Nyay” (Nyuntam Aay Yojana—Minimum Income Guarantee) scheme, which promised Rs 6,000 monthly to the poorest 20% of households, and pledged to create 2.2 million government jobs. He used the slogan “Chowkidar Chor Hai” to criticize BJP‘s Narendra Modi over alleged irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal. Congress won 52 seats, an improvement from 2014, but its vote share remained below 20%. Gandhi won the Wayanad seat with over 60% of the vote but lost his Amethi seat to Smriti Irani by 55,120 votes.

Bharat Jodo Yatra (2022–2023)
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, or “Unify India March,” was a Congress party campaign from 2022 to 2023 aimed at promoting national unity and solidarity. Launched on September 7, 2022, by Rahul Gandhi in Kanyakumari, the initiative honored his father Rajiv Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, and Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar. The campaign covered 4,080 kilometers (2,540 miles) across 12 states and two union territories over 137 days, concluding on January 29, 2023, with the unfurling of the tricolor at Lal Chowk, Srinagar.

The yatra involved Gandhi and Congress leaders traveling across India, addressing rallies, and engaging with citizens on issues such as economic development, social justice, and inclusive governance. The campaign aimed to strengthen the party’s grassroots presence and boost its national relevance. During this period, the Congress elected a new party president and won a majority in the 2022 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. In 2023, the Congress also achieved significant victories in Karnataka and Telangana, improving both its vote share and seat count in regions the yatra had traversed.

2023 Conviction and Stay

On April 13, 2019, during a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi made a remark in Hindi linking individuals with the surname Modi to corruption, asking, “Why is it that all thieves, whether it be Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, or Narendra Modi, have Modi in their names?” This comparison led to a criminal defamation case filed by Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA, who alleged that Gandhi defamed anyone with the Modi surname. Gandhi, excused from appearing in court due to short notice, pleaded not guilty on October 10, 2019, and clarified that he did not intend to defame any community during subsequent court appearances.

On March 23, 2023, Gandhi was convicted of defamation and sentenced to two years in prison. The following day, Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh announced Gandhi’s disqualification as the MP for Wayanad, effective from the date of his conviction, in accordance with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which disqualifies convicted representatives. Gandhi’s lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appealed and secured a one-month stay on the sentence. On August 5, 2023, the Supreme Court of India stayed Gandhi’s conviction and sentence.

The disqualification of Gandhi elicited widespread reactions, including from Congress party members, opposition leaders, and international figures. Legal experts questioned the basis of the defamation charge, noting that it typically applies to individuals rather than groups. US Representative Ro Khanna and German foreign ministry officials expressed concern over the verdict and its implications, while US Senator Chris Van Hollen described the disqualification as “alarming.”

Political Disputes:

Rahul Gandhi‘s political career has involved a range of high-profile issues and controversies that reflect his approach to national security, economic policies, and social issues. Here’s a summary of his positions and actions on these fronts:

National Security and Extremism

• Statements on Extremism: Gandhi has been vocal about the threats posed by extremist groups in India. In a leaked 2009 cable from U.S. Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer, Gandhi was reported to have said that Hindu extremists posed a greater threat than Muslim militants. This comment, which referenced figures in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and alleged support for Islamist militant groups among some Muslim elements, drew strong criticism from the BJP and others who felt it undermined India’s fight against terrorism.
• Muzaffarnagar Riots: After the 2013 riots in Muzaffarnagar, Gandhi claimed that the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI was attempting to recruit young people affected by the riots. This assertion was denied by various Indian agencies and criticized by multiple political figures for potentially inflaming communal tensions.

Farmers and Land Agitation

• Criticism of Land Bills: Gandhi has been a staunch critic of the BJP government’s land acquisition policies. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favoring industrialists by facilitating land acquisition through legislation. Gandhi’s rhetoric included accusations of corruption and exploitation of farmers, which he likened to “daylight robbery.”
• Public Rallies: At rallies, such as the 2015 Kisan Khet Mazdoor Rally, Gandhi has portrayed the Modi government as anti-farmer and a “suit-boot” government, implying that its policies favor the wealthy elite over common citizens.

Climate and Energy

• Environmental Concerns: Gandhi has criticized government policies that he believes exacerbate environmental degradation. He labeled the 2020 Environment Impact Assessment draft as “dangerous,” arguing that it would negatively impact affected communities and fail to address long-term environmental concerns.

Economic Issues

• Critique of Economic Policies: Gandhi has been a vocal critic of the Modi government’s economic policies, alleging that they benefit a small group of billionaires and constitute crony capitalism. He has expressed concerns about privatization and rising economic inequality, citing reports from organizations like Oxfam.
• Demonetization: Gandhi has been a fierce critic of the demonetization policy implemented in 2016, which withdrew high-denomination currency notes from circulation. He has described it as a “tragedy” and a “disaster” that caused significant hardship to ordinary citizens and failed to achieve its goals of tackling black money and corruption.