Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Rajiv Gandhi (born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress (INC). Since June 2024, he has been serving as the 12th Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and represents the Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, he was the Member of Parliament from Wayanad, Kerala (2019–2024) and Amethi, Uttar Pradesh (2004–2019). He also served as the President of the Congress Party from December 2017 to July 2019.
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Rahul Gandhi in 2025 | |
Born | 19 June 1970 (age 55) New Delhi, India |
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Nationality | Indian |
Education | Home-schooled (The Doon School earlier) |
Alma mater | Rollins College (B.A.),
University of Cambridge (M.Phil.) |
Occupation | Politician |
Years active | 2004–present |
Known for | Member of the Nehru–Gandhi family,
12th Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha |
Notable works | Bharat Jodo Yatra, |
Awards | — |
Spouse(s) | Unmarried |
Parents | Rajiv Gandhi (father),
Sonia Gandhi (mother) |
Religion | Hinduism |
Website | rahulgandhi.in |
Belonging to the Nehru–Gandhi family, Rahul Gandhi spent his early years in Delhi and Dehradun. He studied at The Doon School but was later home-schooled due to security concerns. He began his undergraduate studies at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, later attended Harvard University, and finally completed his degree at Rollins College, Florida, in 1994 after his father’s assassination. He went on to earn an M.Phil. from Cambridge University. Professionally, he worked with the Monitor Group in London before returning to India to set up a technology outsourcing firm in Mumbai.
Rahul Gandhi formally entered politics in the 2000s, taking charge of the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). He has also been a trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.
He led the Congress Party during the 2014 and 2019 general elections, though the party suffered major defeats, winning only 44 seats in 2014 and 52 in 2019. In the run-up to the 2024 general elections, Rahul Gandhi launched the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which helped revive the Congress, winning 99 seats and regaining the status of the Official Opposition after 10 years. He himself won Rae Bareli and was chosen as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.