Rahul Gandhi's Birthday 2024: A look at early political career of Congress leader

Rahul Gandhi. File Pic

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on June 19 will turn 54 years old. Rahul Gandhi, a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) Rahul Gandhi the descendant of the most recognised political family of the nation was born on June 19, 1970, in Delhi. On his birthday here's a look at the his early political career.

Born to Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi was destined for a life in Indian politics. As the grandson of Indira Gandhi and the great-grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, his lineage is deeply rooted in the Indian politics. Rahul Gandhi's early education took place at The Doon School in Dehradun, followed by an undergraduate degree from Rollins College in Florida, USA. Rahul Gandhi later pursued an M.Phil. in Development Studies from Trinity College in Cambridge.

Rahul's education provided him with a global perspective which he later used into his political career.

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Rahul Gandhi's formal entry into politics came in the year 2004 after he contested and won the parliamentary seat from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, a constituency that had been represented by his father and uncle previously.

The victory marked the beginning of Rahul's active involvement in the Indian politics.

Early in his political career, Rahul Gandhi faced difficulties, despite coming from a distinguished family, Rahul often received criticism by his opponents and the opposition.

Rahul was frequently called inexperienced and disconnected from the reality of the ground by the opposition leaders.

Meanwhile, reactions to his early attempts to establish a connection with the youth and rural population were not entirely positive. However, gradually, Rahul began to gain support from the youth and the masses.

Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the position of Indian National Congress General Secretary in 2007 was a symbol of his increasing power in the party. Rahul's mission was to revive the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the Youth Congress, the Congress's youth wing. The groups witnessed substantial restructuring and a renewed emphasis on grassroots activism under his direction.

For Rahul Gandhi, the Indian General Elections of 2009 marked a sea change. Rahul was instrumental in the Congress party's campaign, which resulted in an overwhelming win and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's second straight term. It was generally acknowledged that his attempts to interact with various groups of the society, including underprivileged groups, had a major role in the party's victory.

Rahul Gandhi's political career faced difficulties despite victories in previous years. There was close examination of his leadership following the Congress party's failure in the national elections in 2014 and 2019. Critics frequently cited his alleged incapacity to successfully challenge the BJP's growing popularity and the charismatic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, before the Lok Sabha elections 2024, a massive change in Rahul Gandhi's approch towards the masses was witnessed. Moreover, the two legs of Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra of Rahul Gandhi yielded positive results for Rahul Gandhi in connecting with the youth, underprivileged, farmers, etc that reflected in his victory from both Lok Sabha seats --Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and Wayand in Kerala from where he contested in the India General elections 2024.