Famous Indian Political Leaders
India has a large number of political parties; it is estimated that over 200 parties were formed after India became independent in 1947. Jawaharlal Nehru, a central figure in Indian politics before and after independence became the first Prime Minister of India. He is considered to be the architect of the modern Indian nation-state. Rajendra Prasad, a freedom fighter during the Indian independence movement was the first President of independent India, and also the longest-serving president, for 12 years. Prominent philosopher and writer Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was also a much acclaimed political leader who served as the president of India from 1962 to 1967. Lal Bahadur Shastri, of the Indian National Congress, was the prime minister during a part of Radhakrishnan’s tenure. Jawaharlal Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi created history when she became the first female Prime Minister of India. As a political leader, she was known for her political ruthlessness and unprecedented centralization of power. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a veteran politician and poet, is also counted amongst the greatest prime ministers of the nation. One of the most respected presidents of the country, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a scientist who played a leading role in the development of India's nuclear weapons programs. This section provides you information about the life and works of famous Indian political leaders.
This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
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Birthdate: September 17, 1950
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vadnagar, Gujarat, India
The 14th PM of India, Narendra Modi, created history when he became the first prime minister outside of the Congress party to win two consecutive terms with a full majority; he achieved this feat in 2019. From Bharatiya Janata Party worker to India’s PM, Modi’s journey is remarkable. However, he’s been plagued by controversies too, including the handling of 2002 Gujarat riots.
Birthdate: April 14, 1891
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Madhya Pradesh, India
Died: December 6, 1956
India's first Minister of Law and Justice, B. R. Ambedkar inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement. He also fought against social discrimination prevalent in India at that time. Widely regarded as the chief architect of the Constitution of India, Ambedkar was posthumously honored with India's highest civilian award - The Bharat Ratna.
Birthdate: January 23, 1897
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cuttack, India
Died: August 18, 1945
An Indian nationalist known for his role in the country’s struggle for freedom from the British, Subhas Chandra Bose was a politician with radical views. He was part of the Indian National Congress in the late 1920s and 1930s. However, his association with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan made him a controversial figure.
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Birthdate: November 19, 1917
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died: October 31, 1984
The third Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi served as PM from 1966 till 1977 and then again from 1980 till her assassination in October 1984. She is considered one of India’s strongest PM and is hailed for leading India to victory over Pakistan in 1971, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. However, she is also categorised as authoritarian and is criticised for imposing Emergency in 1975.
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Mahatma Gandhi(Indian Freedom Fighter who Employed Non-violent Resistance & Known as 'Father of the Nation')
Birthdate: October 2, 1869
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Porbandar, India
Died: January 30, 1948
An Indian lawyer and anti-colonial nationalist, Mahatma Gandhi was a major figure in India’s fight for independence from British rule. He is renowned for his employment of non-violent resistance and civil disobedience methods. Despite his popularity, he had numerous detractors as well and was assassinated in 1948. He is widely considered the Father of the Nation in India.
Birthdate: October 31, 1875
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Nadiad
Died: December 15, 1950
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was an Indian politician who played an influential role in the Indian independence movement. Dubbed the Iron Man of India and Unifier of India, Sardar Patel played an important role in integrating various princely states into a united, independent nation. In 2018, the world's tallest statue called the Statue of Unity was dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Birthdate: December 25, 1924
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Gwalior
Died: August 16, 2018
Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as the 10th Prime Minister of India and was the first prime minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress. The BJP politician had been a journalist and an RSS member. He was a noted poet, too. During his tenure as prime minister, he carried out Pokhran II nuclear tests in 1998 and declared India as a country with nuclear weapons capability.
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Birthdate: October 15, 1931
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India
Died: July 27, 2015
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, India’s 11th president, had earlier been an aerospace scientist at DRDO and ISRO. Known as the “People’s President” and the “Missile Man of India,” he was instrumental in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests. He died of a cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at IIM Shillong.
Birthdate: August 20, 1944
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Died: May 21, 1991
Rajiv Gandhi was the sixth and the youngest Prime Minister of India. He played a major role in suhering the computer era in India. During the initial phase of his term, he was very popular but later on his regime was marred by corruption scandals and he lost the next election. He was assassinated by Tamil militants, while he was the leader of the opposition.
Birthdate: February 13, 1879
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hyderabad, India
Died: March 2, 1949
Sarojini Naidu was an Indian poet and political activist. An important figure in the Indian Independence Movement, she was a proponent of anti-imperialistic ideas, women's rights, and civil rights. Her illustrious career as a poet earned her the nickname Nightingale of India. After India became independent, she became the first woman to hold the office of Governor in the Dominion of India.
Birthdate: November 14, 1889
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Allahabad
Died: May 27, 1964
Jawaharlal Nehru was one of the central figures of the Indian independence movement along with personalities like Mahatma Gandhi. He became the first prime minister of India and left behind such a legacy that his direct descendants continue to play an important role in Indian politics.
Birthdate: February 14, 1952
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New Delhi, india
Died: August 6, 2019
Supreme Court lawyer and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj had held several ministries, such as external affairs and information and broadcasting. Named India’s “best loved politician” by Wall Street Journal, Swaraj was known for her prompt assistance to Indians in emergency situations abroad and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
Birthdate: July 23, 1856
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India
Died: September 1, 1920
Indian nationalist and freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, also known as Lokmanya Tilak, promoted the concept of Swaraj, or self-rule. He was part of the freedom-fighter trio know as Lal Bal Pal, along with fellow Indian National Congress members Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal.
Birthdate: October 2, 1904
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died: January 11, 1966
The second prime minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, was known for his environmental campaigns and his support for the White Revolution. His slogan "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan,” during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, became immensely popular. He ended the war by signing the Tashkent Agreement, but died a day later.
Birthdate: June 3, 1924
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Thirukkuvalai, Tamil Nadu, India
Died: August 7, 2018
The patriarch of the Karunanidhi political family of India, M. Karunanidhi had been the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for almost 20 years. The DMK leader was also a noted scriptwriter and author, having written films such as Parasakthi. His son, M. K. Stalin is the current Tamil Nadu chief minister.
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Sonia Gandhi(President of Indian National Congress (1998-2017, Since 2019))
Birthdate: December 9, 1946
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lusiana, Lusiana Conco, Italy
Sonia Gandhi is an Indian politician and president of one of the most prominent Indian political parties, The Indian National Congress. As the president of Indian National Congress, which has been one of India's most successful political parties in the country's post-independence history, Sonia Gandhi remains one of the most powerful women in India.
Birthdate: December 3, 1884
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Siwan, Bihar, India
Died: February 28, 1963
Rajendra Prasad was India’s first and longest-tenured president, from 1950 to 1962. He was re-elected in 1957, thus becoming the only Indian president to serve two terms. He had previously been a freedom fighter and later also served as the president of the Constituent Assembly, which drafted India’s constitution.
Birthdate: October 1, 1945
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Derapur, Kanpur Dehat District, Uttar Pradesh, India
Ram Nath Kovind, the 14th President of India, was the first RSS leader to become a president. He has earlier been the Governor of Bihar and a Rajya Sabha MP. He also had a 16-year career as a lawyer and worked at the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.
Birthdate: August 18, 1959
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Madurai, Madras State, India (present-day Tamil Nadu)
One of the world’s 100 most powerful women in 2020 according to Forbes, BJP member Nirmala Sitharaman is the first woman to be a full-time finance minister of India. The Madurai-born JNU alumna had earlier quit her PhD program in economics midway to move to London with her husband.
Birthdate: December 12, 1940
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Pune
Birthdate: June 28, 1921
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Karimnagar, India
Died: December 23, 2004
The ninth Prime Minister of India, P. V. Narasimha Rao, is often called the Father of Indian Economic Reforms due to a major economic transformation in India during his prime ministership. He dismantled the Licence Raj and his economic policies rescued India from an impending economic collapse.
Birthdate: November 11, 1888
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Died: February 22, 1958
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was an Indian independence activist, Islamic theologian, and scholar. He played a key role in the Indian independence movement, serving as a senior leader of the Congress. His contribution to the Indian education system is recognized across India by celebrating his birthday as National Education Day.
Birthdate: February 29, 1896
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bhadeli, Bombay Presidency, British India
Died: April 10, 1995
Bharat Ratna-recipient Morarji Desai was a freedom fighter and served as the prime minister of India from 1977 to 1979. He had also been the minister of home affairs and the minister of finance. He was initially part of the Indian National Congress and later joined the Janata Party.
Birthdate: November 8, 1927
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Karāchi, Pakistan
L. K. Advani is a retired Indian politician who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004. A co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he has also been the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha on two occasions. He is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor.
Birthdate: August 16, 1968
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Siwani, Haryana, India
Indian politician Arvind Kejriwal is the incumbent chief minister of Delhi and the founder of the Aam Aadmi Party. The Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning leader is an IIT-KGP alumnus and was initially a joint commissioner of income tax with the IRS. His book Swaraj highlights burning issues such as corruption.
Birthdate: December 28, 1952
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Delhi, India
Died: August 24, 2019
BJP member Arun Jaitley had led ministries such as finance, defense, and law and justice. The Indian politician was a skilled lawyer and had been part of cases such as the 2002 Pepsi vs. Coca-Cola case in the Supreme Court. He was awarded a Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
Birthdate: March 1, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kangathei, Manipur, India
Indian boxing legend Mary Kom, known as “Magnificent Mary,” is the only female to win the World Amateur Boxing championship six times. She has won golds at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, and an Olympic bronze, too. The Padma Vibhushan-winner is also a Rajya Sabha member.
Birthdate: September 12, 1912
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Mumbai
Died: September 8, 1960
Indian politician and journalist Feroze Gandhi was a major figure in the Indian independence Movement. Feroze also became an MP from the constituency of Rae Bareli. He married Indira Nehru, daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. Indira later became the Indian PM, as Indira Gandhi.
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K. Kamaraj(Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (1954-63))
Birthdate: July 15, 1903
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India
Died: October 2, 1975
Birthdate: December 11, 1935
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Mirity, West Bengal, India
Died: August 31, 2020
An Indian politician who served as the 13th President of India, Pranab Mukherjee was a veteran with a political career spanning over five decades. He occupied several ministerial portfolios in the Government of India, such as Defence, Finance and External Affairs. He was honored with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 2019.
Birthdate: May 28, 1883
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Bhagur
Died: February 26, 1966
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was an Indian politician and independence activist. He formulated the Hindu nationalist philosophy of Hindutva and was a leading figure in the Hindu Mahasabha. He was known for his strong oratory skills and was an eloquent writer. He was initially charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi but was later acquitted.
Birthdate: November 22, 1939
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Saifai
Birthdate: December 9, 1878
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Thorapalli, Tamil Nadu, India
Died: December 25, 1972
Bharat Ratna-winner C. Rajagopalachari, nicknamed Rajaji or C.R., was the last Governor-General of India and the first Indian to hold the post. He had also served as an INC leader, the Governor of West Bengal, and the Premier of the Madras Presidency. He launched the Swatantra Party and propagated peace.
Birthdate: January 28, 1865
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Dhudike, India
Died: November 17, 1928
Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian politician who played a major role in the Indian Independence movement. He is credited with inspiring many young men, including Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad, to join the freedom struggle through journalistic writings and activism. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari.
Birthdate: July 23, 1906
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Badarka, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died: February 27, 1931
Chandra Shekhar Azad joined India’s freedom struggle against the British after being deeply affected by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Born Chandra Shekhar Tiwari, he declared himself as Azad when arrested in connection with Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement. He shot himself to death to escape being held captive by the British.
Birthdate: May 18, 1933
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Haradanahalli, Karnataka, India
Former prime minister of India, H. D. Deve Gowda is currently a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka. Born to a backward-class family in Hassan, Deve Gowda had initially studied civil engineering. He had previously been an INC member but later quit the party to become a Janata Dal leader.
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Kiran Bedi(First Woman in India to Join the Officer Ranks of the Indian Police Service (IPS))
Birthdate: June 9, 1949
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Amritsar, India
Kiran Bedi is an Indian police officer and social activist. In 1972, she became the first Indian woman to serve as an officer in the Indian Police Service. From 2016 to 2021, she served as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, playing an important role in the development of the Indian Union Territory. Her life has inspired many films, including Karthavyam.
Birthdate: October 11, 1902
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bihar, India
Died: October 8, 1979
Jayaprakash Narayan was a theorist, political leader, socialist, and Indian independence activist. Often referred to as the Hero of Quit India Movement, Jayaprakash Narayan was honored with the prestigious Magsaysay Award in 1965 for Public Service. He was posthumously honored with India's highest civilian award—The Bharat Ratna—in 1999.
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Paresh Rawal(Actor best known for appearing in hit films like Naam and the Bollywood classic Hera Pheri.)
Birthdate: May 30, 1955
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, Indian
Paresh Rawal is a renowned National Film Award- and Padma Shri-winning Indian actor who has entertained audiences in Hindi films such as Hera Pheri and Sir. He is also a well-known villain in Telugu films. Married to former Miss India Swaroop Sampat, Rawal has also previously been a BJP MP.
Birthdate: January 17, 1917
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Nawalapitiya, Sri Lanka
Died: December 24, 1987
M. G. Ramachandran was an Indian actor-turned-politician who served as the third chief minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He is credited with founding one of the most popular political parties of Tamil Nadu, The AIADMK. Widely regarded as a humanitarian and cultural icon, Ramachandran's portraits can still be seen all over Tamil Nadu.
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Priyanka Gandhi(General Secretary of Indian National Congress (Since 2020))
Birthdate: January 12, 1972
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New Delhi, India
Birthdate: January 23, 1926
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mumbai
Died: November 17, 2012
Legendary Indian politician Bal Thackeray, or Balasaheb Thackeray, was the patriarch of one of the most influential political families of India and the founder of the Shiv Sena. He went from being a cartoonist to the godfather of Maharashtra, though his overtly regional and Hindu nationalist ideals were often criticized.
Birthdate: August 26, 1956
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New Delhi, India
Maneka Gandhi is an Indian politician, environmentalist, and animal rights activist. She is credited with inspiring several individuals towards social entrepreneurship. Maneka Gandhi is best known as an animal rights leader for which she has received several international awards. She is also credited with establishing an animal welfare organization named People for Animals.
Birthdate: January 5, 1955
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Calcutta, West Bengal, India
Birthdate: September 4, 1825
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Mumbai, India
Died: June 30, 1917
Dadabhai Naoroji was an Indian scholar and political leader. Dubbed the Grand Old Man of India, Naoroji is remembered for co-founding the Indian National Congress where he served as the president on three occasions. He also played an important role in India's fight for freedom, popularizing the Indian wealth drain theory through his book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India.
Birthdate: May 13, 1969
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Birthdate: October 16, 1946
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cuttack, India
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Chiranjeevi(Indian Actor Known for His Powerful Dialogue Delivery and Impeccable Acting Skills)
Birthdate: August 22, 1955
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Mogalthur, Andhra State, India
Chiranjeevi is an Indian actor best known for his work in the Telugu film industry. In an illustrious career spanning more than four decades, Chiranjeevi has received many prestigious awards for his contribution to Indian cinema. In 2006, he was honored with India's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan. He is often considered one of the biggest stars in India.
Birthdate: February 24, 1948
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Melukote, India
Died: December 5, 2016
Birthdate: July 6, 1901
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Calcutta, India
Died: June 23, 1953