10 facts about Rahul Gandhi, Congress Vice President

Rahul Gandhi, Vice President of Congress party belongs to a politically strong family. Yet he is known to be modest.After the Congress party's devastating defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul was severely criticized from all corners.Some of his party members demanded that he be replaced with his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Rahul may not have been successful as a leader but even his critiques describe him as a thorough gentleman, like his father.Life has not always been a bed of roses for this veteran leader. He has been a witness to tragidies that his family members had been subjected to. His grandmother and father's assassination still linger in his mind as fresh memories.Here we are compiling 10 facts about Rahul Gandhi who is presently struggling to carry forward his family legacy in Indian politics. 1. Son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi is currently the Vice – President of the Indian National Congress.Gandhi was appointed General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee on 24th September, 2007 in a reshuffle of the party secretariat.That very year, he was also given charge of the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India.As Rahul's participation in politics was received well by the people and party members his position was further elevated.On 19th January 2013, Rahul Gandhi formally took charge as Vice- President of the Congress party. He was given this post at the party's Jaipur conclave.As vice-president, he is second only to party President and his mother Sonia Gandhi.2. Rahul Gandhi was born to one of the most politically powerful families of India. The Gandhis back then had strong influence over India's politics. Rahul happens to hail as the fourth generation of the Nehru- Gandhi clan.He was born to Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi on 19th June, 1970 in Delhi.Rahul is the great grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. He is also the grandson of Indira Gandhi and son of Rahul Gandhi, who too were Prime Ministers of India. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is his younger sister.Rahul Gandhi is called ‘Son' of India's first political family.3. Natwar Singh, former veteran Congressman created a flutter of controversy when said that it was Rahul who compelled Sonia Gandhi not to accept the Position of Prime Minister in 2004. In Natwar Singh's autobiography – “One Life is not enough”, he writes that Rahul had witnessed his grand mother and father's death, thus he dreaded that his mother would meet the same end if she would become the PM, hence he strongly opposed to it.Rahul Gandhi is known as a caring and obedient son. Priyanka Gandhi says that he is very much like his father. Rahul is a loving brother too. Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul demonstrate a strong bond in the family who are always supportive of each other.4. Just a few days back, Rahul Gandhi led a group of MPs to the Well in the Lok Sabha to protest against the government's reluctance to discuss the Communal Violence Bill. Members of the House were quite taken aback by his move because he has always been perceived as a silent spectator who is inactive and does not participate in debates. Rahul has never raised any questions in the Parliament related to his constituency Amethi. He does not visit Amethi frequently.His parliamentary track record remains poor. In his first term, Rahul had an average of 63% attendance, participated in five debates and asked three questions in Parliament. In his second stint, his attendance was 43%, participated in one debate and posed no questions until Dec 2013, according to PRSindia, a website on Legislative researchIn the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, his sister Priyanka Gandhi campaigned on his behalf in Amethi as he was busy in campaigning in other places.Yet he won the seat yet again as Amethi still appears to have enough faith on the Gandhi family and perceives him as a replica of his father Rajiv.5. Rahul Gandhi was an average student. His grades were never very good.Rahul is often described as inarticulate and uninspiring but personally, he was always willing to learn.Rahul was studying in Doon School when his grandmother Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Rahul with his sister Priyanka had to drop their schooling and were made to study at home.For his graduation, Rahul joined St. Stephen's College in 1989 but he shifted to Harvard University after he did his first year. Unfortunately in 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the extremist outfit LTTE.Once again, security issues crept in. Rahul had to shift to Rollins College and finally completed his B.A. in 1994.In 1995 he completed his M. Phil. degree in Development Studies from the Trinity College of Cambridge.6. Rahul Gandhi's memory as child on Indira assassinationRahul Gandhi was very close to his grandmother Indira Gandhi. She was no doubt a disciplinarian but Rahul was not a victim to her wrath as he was very obedient. His sincerity permitted Indira to be lenient toward him.Indira often shielded him from Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi. In one of his interviews he said, “"My grandmother, Indira Gandhi was my saviour... for example, I hated eating spinach. She would start reading the newspaper and hiding behind the newspaper I would give the spinach a miss."Unlike other children, he didn't like going for films so one day, grandma Indira took Priyanka and Rahul for a movie, but they left mid-way because he got extremely bored.7. Rahul Gandhi had always been expected to join politics. But like his father and mother he was reluctant.He had no desire to join this arena. Hence after he had completed his studies he began his career with a management consulting firm – the Monitor Group in London. Later he returned to India was became one of the directors of technology outsourcing firm – Backops Services Private Ltd.This firm is based in Mumbai.Rajiv Gandhi was a pilot before he joined politics. He was compelled to leave his job after Sanjay Gandhi's death by Indira Gandhi. Rahul shares his father's sentiment about politics. He wanted a career in management but he had to carry the party forward. 8. Rahul as an outspoken personRahul Gandhi is known to be quite out spoken. But at times he is caught in controversies over his statements. Rahul had once termed poverty ‘a state of mind'.He once remarked that India is threatened more by the Hindu extremists more than Muslim militants and his remark was highly criticized.After the Mumbai blast he commented that it becomes almost impossible to stop each and every terrorist attacks but the terrorist attack should be dealt at the grass root level and once that is achieved it will be more helpful.To everyone's surprise, on 27 September 2013, Rahul Gandhi openly criticized Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his government for coming out with an ordinance to revoke the order passed by Honorable Supreme Court of India which stated that convicted criminals could not contest elections.Though his move was criticized by many for showing disregard to the then Prime Minister of India, his act was appreciated by others as the ordinance served to protect convicted politicians.9. Rahul Gandhi was once known as the most eligible bachelor in India. But he disappointed many fans when he put rumors to an end on his love affair. He admitted having a girlfriend – Veronique Cartelli.He had to go on record because of rumors that were fluttering about him and his girl.In his attempt to clarify he revealed that his girlfriend was Veronique Cartelli, who studied in the same University as him in England in the 1990s and whom he considered his best friend. "My girlfriend's name is Veronique not Juanita.She is Spanish and not Venezuelan or Colombian. She is an architect not a waitress, though I wouldn't have had a problem with that."10. One of Rahul Gandhi's greatest regret is that his grandmother was assassinated by his friends.When Rahul was about 14 years old, Indira Gandhi's guards had become good friends of his. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh taught him to play badminton and he was very fond of them.“1984 I was in the garden I met Beant Singh and he asked me where does your grandmother sleep, is her security adequate? If somebody throws a grenade at you, he told me how to lie down. At that time I did not understand what he meant.Years later I understood that Satwant Singh and Beant Singh were going to throw a grenade at her during Diwali." – Rahul mentions in an interview.