New Delhi, June 19: Rahul Gandhi, one of the top Opposition leaders in India, turns 50-year-old today. An heir of India's influential Nehru-Gandhi family, Gandhi was born on this date - June 19 - in the year 1970. He has also served as the president of Indian National Congress for two years, before demitting the charge after the electoral setback in 2019 general elections. Here are five lesser known facts about Rahul Gandhi.

  • The Gandhi scion has learned the art of aikido, a Japanese martial art, and also holds a black belt.

  • One of Rahul Gandhi's most-preferred snack is momos - the steamed filled dumpling popular amongst scores in India.

  • Gandhi is educated from two prestigious Universities - Harvard and Cambridge - and holds an MPhil from the latter.

  • The ex-Congress chief is a "voracious reader", according to former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh.

  • Gandhi is also aware of technical know-hows related to plane flying, as per reports. He was stated to be calm and "stood by the pilot" after his VIP plane developed a brief mid-air glitch in 2018.

Gandhi was seen as the presumptive prime ministerial candidate in 2019, when the Congress moved into the general elections following a three-state assembly election victory in December 2018. The party, however, suffered a brutal drubbing as the Narendra Modi-led BJP succeeded in consolidating its majority. Gandhi lost from the Amethi parliamentary constituency and subsequently resigned from the presidentship of Congress.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 19, 2020 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).