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Rahul Gandhi
Member of Parliament from Amethi
Incumbent
Assumed office 2004
General Secretary of the Indian National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office 2007
Chairperson of IYC and NSUI
Incumbent
Assumed office 2007
Personal details
Born	(1970-06-19) 19 June 1970 (age 54) New Delhi, India
Nationality	India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Residence(s)	New Delhi, India
Alma mater	Rollins College Trinity College, Cambridge
Signature

Rahul Gandhi (/rɑːˈhuːl ˈɡɑːndi/; Template:Lang-hi; born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician and member of the parliament of India, representing the Amethi constituency. His political party is the Indian National Congress.

Early life

Rahul Gandhi was born in Delhi, the first amongst 2 children of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India and Sonia Gandhi, the current Congress President. He is the elder brother of Priyanka Gandhi. His grandmother was Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and grandfather was Feroze Gandhi and his great-grandfather was Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister.

He attended St. Columba's School, Delhi before entering The Doon School in Dehradun (Uttarakhand), also his father's alma mater, from 1981-83 before being home-schooled for security reasons. He originally went to Harvard for his undergraduate education but transferred from there to Rollins College in 1991 after his father Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. He got his B.A. from Rollins College, Florida in 1994. He received an M.Phil. in Development Studies in 1995 from Trinity College, Cambridge.

Career

Corporate career

After graduation, Rahul Gandhi worked at the Monitor Group, a management consulting firm run by Michael Porter. In 2002 he was one of the directors of Mumbai-based technology outsourcing firm Backops Services Private Ltd.

Political career

In 2003, there was widespread media speculation on the issue of Rahul Gandhi's imminent entry into national politics, which he did not confirm. He appeared with his mother at public events and Congress meetings. He also traveled to Pakistan on a goodwill visit to watch the first cricket series between the countries in 14 years in a One Day International with his sister Priyanka Gandhi.

Speculation heightened in January 2004 about his and his sister's possible entry into politics when they visited their father's former constituency of Amethi, which their mother held at the time. He refused to give a definitive response, stating "I am not averse to politics. I have not decided when I will enter politics and indeed, if I ever will."

In March 2004, he announced his entry into politics by announcing that he would contest the May 2004 elections, standing for his father's former constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament. Before that, his uncle Sanjay held the seat before his death in a plane crash. The seat had been held by his mother until she transferred to the neighbouring seat of Rae Bareilly. The Congress had been doing poorly in Uttar Pradesh, holding only 10 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state at the time. At the time, this move generated surprise among political commentators, who had regarded his sister Priyanka as being the more charismatic and likely to succeed. Party officials did not have a curriculum vitae ready for the media, such was the surprise of his move. 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, he 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. His candidature was greeted with excitement by locals, who had a long standing affinity with the family's presence in the area. , Politician of Indian National Congress He won with a landslide majority, retaining the family stronghold with a margin of over 100,000 as the Congress unexpectedly defeated the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Until 2006 he held no other office and concentrated mainly on constituency issues and the politics of Uttar Pradesh, and it was widely speculated in the Indian and international press that Sonia Gandhi is trying to groom him for a chance to become a national-level Congress leader in the future.

In January 2006, at a convention of the Indian National Congress in Hyderabad, thousands of party members asked for Gandhi to take a more prominent leadership role in the party and demanded that he address the delegates. He said "I appreciate and I am grateful for your feelings and support. I assure you I will not let you down", but asked for patience and declined to immediately seek a higher profile role.

Gandhi and his sister (married to Robert Vadhera) managed their mother's campaign for reelection to Rae Bareilly in 2006, which was won easily with a margin greater than 400,000 votes.

He was a prominent figure in a high profile Congress campaign for the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections; Congress, however, won only 22 seats with 8.53% of votes. The election saw the Bahujan Samaj Party, which represents low caste Indians, to become the first party to govern in its own right in Uttar Pradesh in 16 years.

Rahul Gandhi was appointed a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee on 24 September 2007 in 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.

In 2008, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily mentioned “Rahul-as-PM” idea when the PM of India Manmohan Singh was still abroad. Indian Politicians drew own conclusions. Evidently, the Prime Minister also took notice of it.

Youth politics

In his attempt to prove himself as a youth leader in November 2008 he held interviews at his 12, Tughlak Lane residence in New Delhi to handpick at least 40 people who will make up the think-tank of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), an organisation that he has been keen to transform since he was appointed general secretary in September 2007.

Under Rahul Gandhi, IYC and NSUI has seen a dramatic increase in members from a few hundred thousand to several million.

Rahul Gandhi participated in an interactive session with students of Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. The University student unions have been traditionally dominated by the Left. His party, INC, however, was quick to play up Rahul's visit to JNU as an “excellent example of youth participation in politics”. Rahul's grandmother, Indira Gandhi had to face huge opposition from Left student unions during her visit to the university campus in 1982 because of her decision to impose emergency. Rahul was quizzed by the students on issues ranging from hiearchial politics in India, to his visits to Dalit Houses, economic growth in the country and education reforms. Some papers, however, reported Rahul's visit to JNU as a political attempt to strengthen the newly constituted unit of NSUI at JNU.

Comparison of RSS and SIMI

Rahul Gandhi has been critical of right-wing groups like the RSS and SIMI. According to a cable leaked by Wikileaks, in 2009, he allegedly shared concerns with the American ambassador to India Timothy Roemer that radicalized Hindu groups may pose a bigger threat to India than Islamic terror groups. His comments on radical Hindu groups were criticized by the the opposition party, as well as right wing groups like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

2009 elections

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he retained his Amethi constituency by defeating his nearest rival by a margin of over 333,000 votes. In these elections congress is said to have revived itself in Uttar Pradesh by winning 21 out of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats and the majority of the credit for this turnaround is given to Rahul Gandhi. He spoke at 125 rallies across the country in six weeks.

He is referred to as RG in party circles.

Land Acquisition Protests Arrest

On 11 May, 2011 Rahul Gandhi was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police at Bhatta Parsaul village after he turned out in support of agitating farmers demanding more compensation for their land being acquired for a highway project. He was released after being held for about three hours and later returned to New Delhi. He was to be presented before a Sub-Divisional Magistrate on 12 May, 2011.

See also

• Political Families of The World

References

1. Vidya Subrahmaniam (18 April 2004). "Gandhi detergent washes away caste". The Times of India. Retrieved 2007-02-09. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
2. Sudip Mazumdar (25 December 2006). "Charisma Is Not Enough". Newsweek International. Archived from the original on 2007-01-27. Retrieved 2007-02-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
3. M.V.Kamath. "Does Congress want to perpetuate Nehru-Gandhi dynasty?". Samachar. Archived from the original on 2006-10-28. Retrieved 2007-02-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
4. George Iype (23 March 2004). "Rahul Gandhi:Biography". oneindia.in. Retrieved 2007-02-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
5. . Retrieved 2007-02-09. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
6. Sanjay Hazarika (16 July 1989). "Foes of Gandhi make targets of his children". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-12. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
7. Indian Express, 17 January 2007
8. The Hindustan Times, 16 January 2007
9. "Cambridge varsity confirms Rahul's qualifications". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
10. "The Great White Hope: The Son Also Rises".
11. Want to be CEO of Rahul Gandhi's firm? rediff.com "his start-up BPO venture, Backops Services Private Ltd ... call centre-like operation providing engineering detail and structural planning services ... based in Mumbai, was incorporated in Delhi on May 28, 2002 ... Gandhi and family friend Manoj Muttu as the two directors"
12. ^ "Rahul Gandhi coming into his own?". The Times of India. 18 Jan 2003. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
13. "Musharraf mother meets Indian PM". BBC News. 21 March 2005. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
14. ^ Majumder, Sanjoy (22 March 2004). "Gandhi fever in Indian heartlands". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
15. ^ "Rahul attacks 'divisive' politics". BBC News. 12 April 2004. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
16. Biswas, Soutik (23 March 2004). "The riddle of Rahul Gandhi". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
17. "India elections: Good day - bad day". BBC News. 2 June 2004. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
18. The Tribune, Chandigarh, 21 August 2004; The Telegraph India, 20 May 2006; BBC News, 26 May 2004.
19. "Rahul Gandhi declines party role". BBC News. 23 January 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
20. Majumder, Sanjoy (11 May 2006). "India's communists upbeat over future". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
21. "Uttar Pradesh low caste landslide". BBC News. 11 May 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
22. "Rahul Gandhi gets Congress post". BBC News. 24 zzz19zzz 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
23. "Rahul Gandhi gets Youth Congress Charge". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 25 zzz19zzz 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
24. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-the-family-way/368776/0
25. "Rahul Gandhi's talent hunt". The Economic Times. 7 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
26. "Rahul Gandhi's Youth Congress gets overwhelming response". DNA India. 24 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
27. ^ "Cong, NCP hail 'revolutionary' Gandhi scion's visit to JNU". The Economic Times. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
28. RSS is 'fanatical' like banned outfit SIMI : Rahul http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/RSS-is-fanatical-like-banned-outfit-SIMI--Rahul/articleshow/6699305.cms
29. http://www.hindustantimes.com/RSS-as-fanatical-as-SIMI-Rahul/Article1-609048.aspx
30. Rahul Gandhi, the "crown prince" of Indian politics, told the American ambassador last year that Hindu extremist groups could pose a greater threat to his country than Muslim militants The Hindu December 17, 2010.
31. "Radical Hindu groups bigger threat than LeT, says Rahul". India Today. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
32. "Sonia secures biggest margin, Rahul follows". The Times of India. Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. 18 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
33. Smita Gupta (1 June 2009). "A Question Of The Heir & Now". Outlook (magazine). Retrieved 7 April 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
34. "Rahul Gandhi arrested in Uttar Pradesh". Yahoo News. Yahoo News. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
35. "Rahul Gandhi arrested by UP police". LiveMint. LiveMint.com. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-12.

External links

• A Nice Boy to Know (Really) - Outlook article
• Profile at Govt. of India website

Template:Persondata

• Ill-formatted IPAc-en transclusions
• Indian National Congress politicians
• Nehru–Gandhi family
• 14th Lok Sabha members
• 15th Lok Sabha members
• Dosco
• Harvard University alumni
• People from New Delhi
• Rollins College alumni
• Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
• 1970 births
• Living people
• Children of Prime Ministers of India
• Indian people of Italian descent
• University of Delhi alumni