Gandhi, Rajiv

Gandhi, Rajiv (b. 20 Aug. 1944, d. 21 May 1991). Prime Minister of India 1984–9 Despite being the eldest son of Indira Gandhi and the grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, he showed no interest in politics, and became instead a pilot for Air India. After the death of his brother, Sanjay (b. 1946, d. 1980), who had been groomed to succeed his mother, he entered politics and immediately became secretary-general and president of the Congress (I) party. He succeeded his mother upon her assassination, and distinguished himself with a less firm and more conciliatory style. He called an election in November 1984, which he won with an unprecedented majority (400 out of 500 seats in the Lok Sabha, the Lower Chamber). Using this mandate, he sought to reduce some of the long-standing provincial conflicts, notably in the Punjab, Assam, and Mizoram. Especially in the Punjab, Sikh violence soon returned, while the resurgence of violence in the two other provinces by the end of the 1980s further dented his popularity. He was also weakened by charges of corruption in his administration. In foreign policy, he improved relations with the USA, but incited the anger of the Tamil Tigers by his intervention in Sri Lanka in 1987. He lost the 1989 elections, though Congress remained the largest party. His popular campaigning style brought his party to the verge of another victory in the 1991 elections, at the height of which he was assassinated by a suicide bomber from the Tamil Tigers. He was succeeded by Narasimha Rao.