A look at Rahul Gandhi's personal life and political journey

New Delhi: The Congress president Sonia Gandhi had always wanted to pass on the baton of the grand old party to his son Rahul Gandhi.But Rahul Gandhi never looked like being comfortable in the leadership role. He came across as a politician who was reluctant to take the lead in the electoral battlefield. Political observers point out that Rahul Gandhi looked distracted in the 2014 election campaign and under his leadership the GOP gave its worst performance of its history. With 44 MPs in Lok Sabha, the Congress party is technically not even entitled to the position of leader of opposition in Lok Sabha. It was expected from Rahul that he'll lead the Congress party in the 16th Lok Sabha but he once again showed his reluctance for the job.It's time to have a look at the life and journey of the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi: Let's have a look at the life and political journey of Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India's first political family.Born on 19 June, 1970, Rahul Gandhi has always been a very ambitious person. He always wanted to be the heir to the legacy of Nehru-Gandhi family. Her sister, Priyanka, was equally interested in joining politics but she had to sacrifice her ambition in view of Rahul's determination to succeed her mother in the party. It is said that Sonia Gandhi, in true Italian mother style, stood behind Rahul and advised Priyanka not to play spoilsport to Rahul's dreams. It is said that Italian mothers are more like Indian mothers for whom son always comes first. As far as its impact on the political prospects of the Congress Party is concerned, no judgment can be passed but it is a commonly accepted fact that Priyanka would have been a better choice given her ability to connect with the common man. Those who have attended meetings of both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi can vouch for the fact that she is more articulate and is definitely a better orator compared to Rahul Gandhi.Rahul Gandhi never had the luxury to live a normal life given his high-profile background. This is no surprise as people of his background always have to pay the price for belonging to that select group of privileged class. Rahul studied at Doon School, Dehradun from 1981-83. After the assassination of her grandmother India Gandhi in 1984, both Rahul and Priyanka had to do their schooling from home.Rahul joined St. Stephen's College, Delhi in 1989 for his undergraduate studies but moved to Harvard University after he cleared first year exam. Tragedy struck his life again in 1991, when his father, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was assassinated during his election campaign in Tamilnadu. After his father's assassination, Rahul shifted to Rollins College due to security reasons and completed his B.A. in 1994. What is very interesting is the fact that during this period, Rahul assumed Pseudonym ‘Raul Vinci' and his identity was known only to the university officials and security agencies. It can be said that he was raised under constant threat from various elements inimical to Gandhi family and that could have muted his evolution as a more courageous and outspoken person. Priyanka too lived under similar conditions but then there are people who have these in-born abilities to grow despite all the impediments.After graduation, Rahul Gandhi worked at the Monitor group, a management consultancy group firm in London. In 2002, he was one of the directors of a Mumbai based technology outsourcing firm, Backops Serviced Pvt. Ltd.Rahul's baptization into politics took place in 2004 when he plunged into electoral politics from his family pocketborough Amethi. That seat was held by her mother Sonia Gandhi who had by then made up her mind to hand over the family baton to Rahul. Sonia vacated Amethi for Rahul and shifted to Rae Bareily.It was a completely metamorphosed Sonia Gandhi compared to what she was in 1980s or early 1990s. There was a time when Sonia Gandhi completely abhorred politics. She was frightened after Indira Gandhi was assassinated. It is widely believed that she advised Rajiv Gandhi not to enter politics as it had become too dangerous for the Gandhi family. The assassination of Raiv further shocked Sonia and she was not able to make up her mind on whether to join politics or not.It is said that from the core of her heart, Sonia never wanted to join politics but she had to change her mind in views of Congress party's plunging electoral fortunes. She realized that the position she occupied in Indian polity and the very future of her children entirely depended on the fortunes of Congress party. In the aftermath of Congress losing power in 1996 general elections, the party was divided in many groups and there could have been no other savior than Sonia Gandhi.Party bigwigs disliked the then party president and family loyalist Sitaram Kesri and urged Sonia to shed all her inhibitions about politics and lead the party from the front. These leaders succeeded in convincing Sonia that whatever privilege she and her children enjoyed in India depended solely on the electoral success on Congress party. The party was in tatters at that time and Sonia Gandhi had no other choice but to enter the same dirty lane of politics that was nauseating to her in the past. She did it in the interest of her two children. It's a different matter that Congressmen look at her as mother and interpret her decision as an act aimed at saving millions of Congressmen.Now, it was a challenge for Sonia Gandhi to groom her darling son for the hot seat which she wanted Manmohan Singh to take care of till the time Rahul gets enough experience to occupy it. Manmohan Singh played the role of a caretaker as a true loyalist. Manmohan Singh knew that 2014 elections were going to be swan-song for him and that time had arrived for the real heir to take over the mantle. Let's look at the outcome of political battles spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi. After winning Amethi seat in 2004 assembly elections, Rahul played a crucial role in the campaign of 2007 UP assembly elections but the party could win only 22 seats with 8.35 percent votes. 2009 was a better year for Rahul as the party succeeded in winning 21 out of 80 seats. 2009 LS elections saw the emergence of Rahul Gandhi as one of the star campaigner of Congress party.Rahul addressed 125rallies across the country in six weeks. The Congress defied all the poll predictions and exit polls and romped home in parliament with a bigger majority. But Rahul was not the given credit for this victory because of two main reasons. First, It was Sonia Gandhi who led the election campaign and second, Manmohan Singh's acceptance as a PM who had performed. Congress party's victory was also attributed to a weak and disunited opposition.The time for test of Rahul Gandhi's leadership qualities arrived in Bihar assembly elections of 2010 and UP assembly elections of 2012. Rahul was the captain of Congress party's campaign team and the party had high expectations from him. But Rahul, unfortunately, failed on both occasions. Both in Bihar and UP assembly elections, Rahul failed to change the fortunes of his party and the Congress came as a cropper in both these electorally crucial states.The Congress had high expectations from Rahul Gandhi in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Unfortunately, Rahul could not stand his ground in face of a massive pro-Modi wave sweeping the country. Congress gave its worst performance in 2014 Lok Sabha elections and could manage to win only 44 seats, the lowest seat tally in its history. The party is not even entitled to the leader of opposition post in the Lok Sabha. On the personal front, Rahul Gandhi remains India's most eligible bachelor. He was said to have a Spanish girlfriend named Veronique who was an architecht and was brought up in . She was seen with him quite often from exotic Kumarakom backwaters to New Year's Day in 2004. In fact, Rahul had confessed his relationship while campaigning in Amethi during 2004 elections. He had famously remarked, “My mother and sister keep on telling me to propose. 'If you do not want to propose, we will do it.”Nobody knows the present status of the relationship. Either Veronica has bowed out or Gandhi family has decided against having another foreign-born daughter-in-law in the family. The last word is yet to be heard on this topic.Rahul had his share of controversies as well. He faced an allegation which shocked the entire nation. The allegation related to the rape of a girl in UP. It was alleged that Rahul raped that girl along with his friends. The matter reached Supreme Court but the SC dismissed all charges against Rahul Gandhi.