Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on the occasion of his birth anniversary.
Modi took to social media platform X to pay homage to the former prime minister.
“On the occasion of his birth anniversary, paying homage to former Prime Minister of India, Shri Rajiv Gandhi.”
Rajiv Gandhi, who was born on August 20, 1944, in Bombay, now Mumbai, became India’s youngest prime minister at the age of 40. He was also among the youngest elected heads of government in the world.
His mother, Indira Gandhi, was 49 when she first became prime minister in 1966, while his grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, was 58 when he began his 17-year tenure as independent India’s first prime minister.
Rajiv Gandhi led Congress to a massive electoral victory
Rajiv Gandhi’s entry into the country’s top political office marked a generational shift in Indian politics. Under his leadership, the Congress secured one of the largest electoral mandates in India’s history.
In the Lok Sabha elections held after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, the Congress won 401 of the 508 seats it contested, giving Rajiv Gandhi a sweeping mandate.
Rajiv Gandhi was three years old when India gained independence and his grandfather became the country’s first prime minister. His parents later moved to New Delhi from Lucknow, while his father, Feroze Gandhi, established himself as a prominent parliamentarian.
Rajiv spent much of his early childhood at Teen Murti House with Nehru. He briefly attended Welham Preparatory School in Dehradun before joining the Doon School, where he formed several lifelong friendships. His younger brother, Sanjay Gandhi, later joined him at the school.
Engineering studies and passion for flying
After completing his schooling, Rajiv Gandhi enrolled at Trinity College, Cambridge, before moving to Imperial College London, where he studied mechanical engineering.
Politics did not initially interest him as a career. His interests were focused largely on science, engineering, music, photography and amateur radio.
His greatest passion was flying. After returning to India from England, he cleared the entrance examination for the Delhi Flying Club and obtained a commercial pilot’s licence. He later worked as a pilot with Indian Airlines.
While studying in Cambridge, Rajiv Gandhi met Sonia Maino, an Italian student studying English at the Bell Educational Trust’s language school. The two married in a Hindu ceremony in New Delhi in 1968.
Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi later had two children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Despite being part of a prominent political family, they largely maintained a private family life.
Sanjay Gandhi’s death changed his political path
The death of his younger brother, Sanjay Gandhi, in a plane crash in 1980 changed the course of Rajiv Gandhi’s life.
Although initially reluctant to enter politics, he eventually contested and won the by-election from Amethi that was necessitated by his brother’s death. He won the seat by a large margin and subsequently became increasingly involved in the Congress organisation.
Rajiv Gandhi’s rise to the country’s top political office came under tragic circumstances following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
He assumed office as prime minister and also took charge as Congress president. His tenure was marked by efforts to modernise the country and bring greater emphasis on technology and communications.
Rajiv Gandhi became Leader of Opposition after 1989 polls
After the Congress lost the 1989 general elections, Rajiv Gandhi became the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The National Front government later collapsed in early 1991, leading to fresh general elections. Rajiv Gandhi continued to lead the Congress campaign during the election period.
On May 21, 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was killed in a bomb blast at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.
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