Rahul Gandhi joins mom in parliament

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi, the newest face of India’s most famous political dynasty, marked his political debut with a landslide win in his family constituency yesterday and joined his mother in parliament. Rahul, 33, son of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, won the family borough of Amethi with over 66 percent of votes cast, against less than 17 percent for his nearest rival. His mother also won by a big margin in the neighbouring constituency of Rae Bareli.

The son of assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the grandson of another assassinated Indian leader, Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi paid tribute to his mother for Congress’ shock win in the national election. “I said some time ago that my father is my hero,” he told reporters in Amethi. “Today, I have another hero. She is my mother. 

“I have seen my mother fight when my grandmother died. I have seen my mother fight the day my father died, and I have seen her fight with her back to the wall. And she has won.” Rahul said his mother had won “against the odds” and despite personal attacks against her Italian origin from the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. After her party’s unexpectedly strong performance, Sonia Gandhi has become firm favourite to follow in her husband’s footsteps as India’s next prime minister.