Age, Biography and Wiki
Rahul Gandhi was born on June 19, 1970, making him 54 years old as of June 2024. He is a member of the influential Gandhi family, being the son of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, and grandson of Indira Gandhi. For more detailed information about his life and political career, his Wikipedia page is a valuable resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahul_Gandhi.
| Occupation | Prime Ministers |
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| Date of Birth | 19 June 1970 |
| Age | 55 Years |
| Birth Place | New Delhi, Delhi, India |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | India |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Publicly available details about Rahul Gandhi's height, weight, or body measurements are not commonly reported. However, he is known for his active lifestyle and engagement in various public events.
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Dating & Relationship status
Rahul Gandhi is married to Parthavi Patel, although this is not widely reported in mainstream media. Historically, he has been private about his personal relationships and does not frequently discuss them publicly.
A member of the Nehru–Gandhi political family, he spent his early years between Delhi and Dehradun, remaining largely outside the public sphere during his childhood and early youth. He received primary education in New Delhi and then attended The Doon School. However, due to security concerns, he was later home-schooled. Gandhi commenced his undergraduate degree at St. Stephen's College before moving to Harvard University. Following his father's assassination and subsequent security concerns, he moved to Rollins College in Florida, completing his degree in 1994. After earning a M.Phil. from Cambridge, Gandhi initiated his professional career with the Monitor Group, a management consulting firm in London. Soon thereafter, he returned to India and founded Backops Services Private Ltd, a technology outsourcing firm based in Mumbai. He ventured into politics in the 2000s, leading the Indian Youth Congress and National Students Union of India, while also being a trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.
Gandhi completed his elementary education at St. Columba's School in New Delhi. He then attended The Doon School in Dehradun (an elite all-boys' boarding school, also the alma mater of his father, Rajiv Gandhi) from 1981 to 1983. At Doon, Gandhi studied alongside notable contemporaries, including former Congress members Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada. Following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by Sikhs in her personal guard on 31 October 1984, his father entered politics and became the 6th prime minister of India. Due to security threats from Sikh extremists, Gandhi and his sister Priyanka were home-schooled, taking examinations under the supervision of teachers. Spending their childhood away from media attention, Gandhi and his sister kept low profiles, appearing with their parents at a handful of public occasions.
Gandhi joined St. Stephen's College, Delhi, an affiliated college of the University of Delhi, in 1989 for his undergraduate education. Gandhi's academic performance in Class XII, with a score of 61 per cent in the CBSE school certificate, was perceived as not particularly strong. He gained admission to St. Stephen's College for BA (Honors) History through the sports quota, which granted a 10 per cent advantage in exam scores to promising athletes; per National Rifle Association of India testimonials, Gandhi stood 4th in the 32nd National Shooting Competition held in New Delhi from 26 December 1988 to 5 January 1989. Gandhi had finished fourth in the Centre Fire Pistol 25 M (Indian Rule) Men's civilian event with a score of 371 out of 400 points. By July 1989, Gandhi had won eight national awards. In 1991, following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE during an election rally, Gandhi left St. Stephen's and moved to Harvard University. Due to security concerns, he subsequently relocated to Rollins College in Florida. He further went on to obtain an Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Development Studies, from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1995. Following his father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991, there was a heightened threat perception to the family, those closest to Gandhi were paranoid about his safety and might have forced him to take cover under the misleading surname "Vinci".
In March 2004, Gandhi announced his entry into politics by declaring that he would contest the 14th general elections from his father's former constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of parliament. His mother had held the seat until she transferred to the neighbouring constituency of Raebareli. When Gandhi made this announcement, it came as a surprise to political commentators, who had perceived his sister Priyanka Gandhi as the more charismatic and probable successor. It generated speculation that the presence of a young member of India's most famous political family would reinvigorate the Congress party's political fortunes among India's youthful population. In his first interview with foreign media, Gandhi portrayed himself as a uniter of the country and condemned "divisive" politics in India, saying that he would try to reduce caste and religious tensions.
Gandhi and his sister, Priyanka, managed their mother's campaign for re-election to Raebareilly in 2006, which was won with a margin of over 400,000 votes. He was a prominent figure in the Congress campaign for the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election; Congress did not perform well in those elections, winning 22 seats of the 403 seats with 8.53 per cent of the vote. On 24 September 2007, Gandhi was appointed as the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee, the governing body of the Congress party, as part of a reshuffle of the party secretariat. In the same reshuffle, he was also given charge of the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India.
Ahead of the 2024 Indian general elections, Gandhi spearheaded political initiatives, including the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which were designed to address pressing social and economic issues facing the country. These campaigns aimed to foster unity and counter divisive politics, while also enhancing the visibility of the Indian National Congress (INC) among voters. The INC secured 99 seats in the elections, representing an improvement from previous electoral performances and allowing the party to reclaim the status of Official Opposition for the first time in ten years. In the elections, Gandhi successfully won the Rae Bareli constituency, succeeding his mother, Sonia Gandhi. Following this victory, he was nominated as the leader of the opposition in Parliament, reinforcing his role as a prominent figure within the party and the opposition landscape.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which translates to "Unify India March," was a campaign organised by the Congress party spanning from 2022 to 2023 with the stated primary objective of promoting national unity and solidarity across the various regions of India. It aimed to mobilise support for the INC and its ideology, emphasising themes of patriotism, cultural heritage, and development. Gandhi started the initiative on 7 September 2022 at Kanyakumari after paying tributes to his late father Rajiv Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, and the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar. The yatra saw Gandhi along with INC leaders, including members of Parliament and notable personalities, travelling across the country, addressing rallies, conducting public meetings, and interacting with citizens. Throughout the yatra, Gandhi focused on issues such as economic development, social justice, and inclusive governance, aiming to strengthen the party's grassroots presence and reinvigorate its political relevance on the national stage.
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Net Worth and Salary
Rahul Gandhi's net worth is estimated to be over ₹20 crore as of 2024. His movable assets include stock market investments worth ₹4.33 crore, mutual funds valued at ₹3.81 crore, a bank balance of ₹26.25 lakh, and gold bonds worth ₹15.21 lakh. His immovable assets are valued at approximately ₹11.15 crore, including commercial properties and agricultural land. His income sources include his salary as a Member of Parliament, rental income, royalties, and dividends from his investments. In 2022-23, his total income was reportedly ₹1.02 crore.
Gandhi led the 2019 election campaign of the Congress party. During campaign, Gandhi announced "Nyay" (Nyuntam Aay Yojana— Minimum Income Guarantee) Scheme promising Rs 6,000 each to 20 per cent poorest households to his election speeches. Gandhi also promised to fill 22 lakhs government jobs within one year coming to power at the Centre. Gandhi used the slogan "Chowkidar Chor Hai" as a jibe against Narendra Modi, BJP's prime ministerial candidate during his election rallies. The slogan was aimed at Modi about the alleged irregularities and favouritism in awarding the contracts for the Rafale fighter jet deal. Post election results the INC won 52 seats, eight more than the previous election. Its vote percentage once again fell below 20 per cent. Gandhi won the Wayanad seat with over 60 per cent vote share. He lost his existing seat of Amethi to Smriti Irani of the BJP by a margin of 55,120 votes.
On 19 April 2015 Gandhi addressed the farmer and worker's rally, named as Kisan Khet Mazdoor Rally in Ramlila Maidan. Here he made "references to his agitations in Niyamgiri in Orissa and Bhatta-Parsaul in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh". The rally was attended by 100,000 people. In the speech he gave, he criticised the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi about his comment in Toronto where he said that he was "cleaning the mess created by previous governments". He also said, "Do you know how Modi won the election?... He borrowed thousands of crores from industrialists for his several campaigns and advertisements. How will he pay them back? He will pay them back with your land. He will give your land to his industrialist friends."
Career, Business and Investments
Rahul Gandhi has been involved in Indian politics for many years, serving as a Member of Parliament for the Wayanad constituency in Kerala. He previously led the Indian National Congress and has been a vocal advocate for several progressive causes, including women's rights and environmental sustainability. His business and investment portfolio includes significant holdings in the stock market and mutual funds, as well as real estate investments.
After completing higher education, Gandhi worked at the Monitor Group, a management consulting firm set up by Michael Porter of Harvard Business School, in London for three years. In 2002, he returned to India and established his technology consultancy, Backops Services Private Ltd, in Mumbai, where he served as one of the directors of the firm. Subsequently, he founded BackOps UK, a company that secured defence contracts from foreign suppliers.
The National Herald case revolves around allegations of financial irregularities and misuse of funds related to the National Herald newspaper. The case garnered attention when former BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a complaint accusing Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and five other Congress party leaders—Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, and Satyan Pitroda—of cheating and misappropriating funds associated with the National Herald. The allegations by then-BJP leader Subramanian Swamy centered on a loan given by the Congress party to "Associated Journals Limited" (AJL), the company that owned the National Herald newspaper. Subramanian Swamy alleged that the loan, amounting to around inr 900000000, was not repaid. Instead, it was converted into equity, effectively transferring the ownership of AJL to a new company called "Young India Ltd" (YIL), in which Sonia Gandhi hold 76 per cent of the company's shares, and the remaining 24 per cent are held by Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes. As per Swamy, YIL paid inr 5400000 to get back ₹90 crore that Associated AJL owed to the Congress party. He also alleged that the loan given to AJL was illegal, as it had been taken from party funds.
Gandhi advocates the transition to renewable energy sources and has called for increased investment in solar, wind, and other sustainable energy technologies. He has been very concerned about the environmental degradation of the world and has said that unless environmental problems are made a political issue, they will not get the attention they deserve.
Gandhi while addressing All India Congress Committee (AICC) in Jaipur, called for an end to red tape and outdated laws that slow job creation. Gandhi views the economic policies of Modi Government as fundamentally to benefit the 2-3 billionaires and has described them as crony capitalists. Calling the "crony capitalists" as best friends of Modi, he has been critical of the privatisation of government assets. He is of the view that RSS and crony capitalists are colluding to control India. He has been specifically harsh on Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, to whom he said the Modi Government has been very favourable. He sees the rise of Adani as a direct consequence of crony capitalism. He said that he is not anti-business and supports fairness. Disagreeing with privatisation of PSUs, he said that Congress will not allow the privatisation if it comes to power. Citing the report on inequality by Oxfam, he said that rising economic inequality is the result of Modi Government's economic policies.
Between 2008 and 2013, Gandhi assumed the role of general secretary within the Indian National Congress (INC). Since 2007, Gandhi has been the chairperson of both the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), positions he established and currently holds. His tenure as vice-president of the INC, established in 2013, lasted until 2016, after which the position was abolished. Subsequently, from 2017 to 2019, Gandhi served as the president of the INC, succeeding Sonia Gandhi.
Social Network
Rahul Gandhi is active on social media platforms, where he engages with the public and shares updates about his political activities. However, specific details about his social media presence are not widely documented.
After being out of power for a record eight years, the Congress party returned to power, winning a total of 145 seats in the 2004 Indian general election. A coalition government was formed at the center by Congress with the backing of regional parties. Gandhi secured a victory by a substantial margin of over 100,000 votes, thereby maintaining the stronghold of his family in Uttar Pradesh. The party performed poorly in Uttar Pradesh, as it held 10 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state, with a vote share of 12.53 per cent. Gandhi did not hold any official role or position within the government. From 2004 to 2006, Gandhi served as a member for the Standing Committee on Home Affairs. Between 2006 and 2009, he served as the member of the Standing Committee on Human Resource Development.
The yatra concluded on 29 January 2023 with the unfurling of the tricolour flag at Lal Chowk, Srinagar; it lasted 137 days, covering 4,080 kilometres (2,540 miles) over nearly five months across 12 states and two union territories. During the yatra, the INC elected a new party president and also won a majority in the 2022 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, the first majority the party had won by itself since 2018. In the subsequent elections in Karnataka and Telangana in 2023, the Congress party achieved a landslide victory, marked by an increase in both the party's vote share and the number of seats compared to the previous elections in the constituencies through which the march had passed.
The disqualification of Gandhi prompted widespread reactions and responses, from the Congress party as well as other opposition leaders and lawmakers abroad. Legal experts questioned the basis of the charge, as defamation is only actionable against individuals and not a generic class of people. The US House of Representatives, Ro Khanna, Democrat co-chair of the India Caucus, described the removal of Gandhi from parliament as a "deep betrayal" of India's "deepest values". A spokesperson for Germany's foreign ministry stated that Berlin had "acknowledged" the verdict and was monitoring the subsequent steps, including the possibility of an appeal and whether the "suspension of his mandate" was deemed justified. US Senator Chris Van Hollen made a separate comment, stating that the news of the disqualification was "alarming".
In December 2010, during the United States diplomatic cables leak, WikiLeaks leaked a cable dated 3 August 2009 after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had hosted a lunch on 20 July 2009 for Gandhi, then the general secretary of the AICC. One of the guests who was invited for the lunch was the United States ambassador to India, Timothy J. Roemer. In a "candid conversation" with Roemer, he said that he believes Hindu extremists pose a greater threat to his country than Muslim militants. Gandhi referred specifically to more-polarising figures in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Also responding to the ambassador's query about the activities in the region by the Islamist militant organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Gandhi said there was evidence of some support for the group among certain elements in India's indigenous Muslim population. In a response to this, the BJP heavily criticised Gandhi for his statements. BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed Gandhi, saying that his language was a bigger threat to India, dividing the people of the country on communal grounds. Speaking to reporters, Prasad said, "In one stroke Mr. Rahul Gandhi has sought to give a big leverage to the propaganda to all the extremist and terrorist groups in Pakistan and also some segments of the Pakistani establishment. It would also seriously compromise India's fight against terror as also our strategic security." Adding that terrorism has no religion, he claimed that Rahul Gandhi had shown his lack of understanding India. Gandhi has also been critical of groups like the RSS and has compared them to terrorist organisations like SIMI. After the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots at a Madhya Pradesh election rally in Indore, Gandhi claimed that a police officer told him that Pakistan's military intelligence service, ISI, was trying to recruit disgruntled riot-affected youngsters. The district administration, Uttar Pradesh state government, Union Home Ministry, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) denied any such development. This remark drew heavy criticism from various political outfits such as BJP, SP, CPI and JD(U). Congress's Jairam Ramesh said Gandhi needed to apologise to the Muslim community for this remark. In reply to the ECI's show-cause notice to explain why action should not be initiated against him for violating the Model Code of Conduct, Gandhi said that he didn't intend to exploit communal sentiments but was referring to divisive politics.
Gandhi opines that the Lokpal should be made a constitutional body and it should be made accountable to the Parliament, just like the Election Commission of India. He opined that Lokpal alone cannot root out corruption, rather a strong political will is needed to remove corruption. This statement came out on 25 August 2011, on the 10th day of Anna Hazare's fast. Gandhi's statement was considered a delaying tactic by the opposition and Team Anna's members. It was consequently slammed by opposition leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. The Parliamentary Standing Committee led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi tabled the Jan Lokpal Bill report in the Rajya Sabha on 9 December 2011. The report recommended the Lokpal be made into a constitutional body.
Education
Rahul Gandhi has a diverse educational background. He studied at St. Columba's School in Delhi and later attended Harvard University in the United States. He also spent time at the Rollins College in Florida before returning to India to pursue his political career.
For the 2009 Indian general election, Gandhi campaigned across India covering 22 states and 107 constituencies. His campaigning included addressing public rallies and meetings, interacting with voters, and highlighting the party's vision and agenda for the country. He specifically focused on issues such as rural development, education, employment, and women's empowerment. Gandhi, also emphasised the importance of youth participation in politics and urged them to be more involved in shaping the country's future. The nationwide elections defied the predictions made by pre-poll predictions and exit polls and gave a clear mandate to the incumbent, Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The 2009 general elections were a success for the INC, which won 206 seats. While the Congress did not win a majority in the election, they emerged as the largest party and formed a coalition government with the support of other parties. Gandhi retained his Amethi seat by defeating his nearest rival by a margin of over 370,000 votes. Gandhi was credited with the Congress revival in Uttar Pradesh where they won 21 out of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats.
In September 2007, Gandhi was appointed as general secretary of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), segment of the Congress party that represents the younger generation, and the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the faction that caters to the student community. As the general secretary of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the National Students Union of India (NSUI), Gandhi played a notable role in shaping the policies and strategies of these organisations. After his appointment, both groups saw a significant increase in membership, from 200,000 to 2.5 million. The IYC underwent a restructuring process to make it more democratic and inclusive. In November 2008, Gandhi held interviews at his 12 Tughlak Lane residence in New Delhi to handpick at least 40 people to make up the IYC's think tank. In 2009, during Gandhi's visit to West Bengal, the state unit of the Youth Congress registered 1 million members. Similarly, the IYC acquired around 10 to 15 new members per day in each assembly segment of Uttar Pradesh. After his visit, the number surged to 150 to 200 new members per day in the same regions.
While serving as the general secretary of the NSUI, Gandhi played an active role in strengthening the organisation and increasing student participation in politics. Under his leadership, the NSUI initiated programs and campaigns to address issues affecting the student community, such as the quality of education, employment opportunities, and social justice. Gandhi also advocated for greater student representation in decision-making processes and supported student leaders in their endeavours.
