Rahul Gandhi was born into the Nehru-Gandhi family. His life has been intertwined with the political history of India. As the son of Rajiv Gandhi, a former Prime Minister, and the grandson of Indira Gandhi, another former Prime Minister, his lineage is deeply embedded in the Indian National Congress, the country's oldest political party.

Rahul's early years were marked by privilege and tragedy, with the assassinations of his grandmother in 1984 and his father in 1991 shaping his perspective and role in public life. He spent his childhood under the scrutiny and protection that came with his family's political stature, receiving his education at prestigious institutions in India and abroad, including The Doon School, St. Stephen's College, Harvard University, and Cambridge University.

Despite the early exposure to politics, Rahul initially veered away from the political arena, focusing on his education and early career. He worked at the Monitor Group, a management consulting firm in London, before returning to India to establish Backops Services Private Ltd, a technology outsourcing firm. During this period, he was allowed to gain experience outside the political sphere and develop a perspective distinct from his family's legacy.

Rahul's foray into active politics began in 2004 when he contested and won the parliamentary seat from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, a constituency long associated with the Gandhi family. His entry into politics was seen as a continuation of the family's political dynasty, and he was quickly earmarked as a future leader of the Congress party.

In September 2007, he was appointed as General Secretary of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), a segment of the party that represents the younger generation, and the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the faction that caters to the student community. Gandhi played a notable role in shaping the policies and strategies of these organizations. After his appointment, both groups saw a significant increase in membership. The IYC underwent a restructuring process to make it more democratic and inclusive.

In March 2004, Gandhi announced his entry into politics by declaring that he would contest from his father’s constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha. The Congress party returned to power in the 2004 general elections. Gandhi secured a victory by a substantial margin but the party performed poorly in Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi did not hold any position or role within the government. From 2004-2006 he served as a member of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs. 

Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka managed his mother’s campaign for re-election to Raebareilly in 2006. He was a prominent figure in the Congress campaign for the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election but Congress did not perform well in the elections. Between 2006 to 2009, he served as a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resource Development.

In 2007, he was appointed as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, the governing body of the Congress party. In the same reshuffle he was also given charge of the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India.

In September 2007, he was appointed as General Secretary of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), a segment of the party that represents the younger generation, and the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the faction that caters to the student community. Gandhi played a notable role in shaping the policies and strategies of these organizations. After his appointment, both groups saw a significant increase in membership. The IYC underwent a restructuring process to make it more democratic and inclusive. 

His tenure as the Vice President of the Indian National Congress, established in 2013, lasted until 2016, after which the position was abolished. Subsequently, from 2017 to 2019, he served as the President of the India National Congress, succeeding his mother Sonia Gandhi

In the 2019 general elections, Gandhi lost from Amethi but he contested and won from the constituency of Wayanad in Kerala.  

In 2022, Rahul Gandhi began his Bharat Jodo yatra. It was a campaign organized by the Congress party spanning from 2022 to 2023 with the primary objective of promoting national unity and solidarity across various regions of India. Gandhi started the initiative on 7 September 2022 at Kanyakumari. Throughout the yatra, Gandhi focussed on issues such as economic development, social justice, and inclusive governance, aiming to strengthen the party’s grassroots presence and reinvigorate its political relevance on the national stage. The yatra concluded in January 2023.