Rahul Gandhi

Profile Overview

Rahul Rajiv Gandhi (Hindi: [ˈraːɦʊl raːˈdʒiːʋ ˈɡaːndʱiː] ; born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician. A member of the Indian National Congress (INC), he is currently serving as the 12th leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and as the member of the Lok Sabha for Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, since June 2024. He previously represented the constituency of Wayanad, Kerala, from 2019 to 2024, and Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, from 2004 to 2019. Gandhi served as the party president of the Indian National Congress from December 2017 to July 2019.
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 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 led the Congress party during the 2014 and 2019 general elections, where the party experienced significant defeats, securing 44 and 52 seats, respectively. Ahead of the 2024 Indian general elections, Gandhi spearheaded the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, contributing to the INC winning 99 seats and regaining the status of Official Opposition for the first time in a decade. Gandhi won the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 elections and was nominated to serve as Leader of the Opposition.