Amidst speculations regarding his political aspirations, Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has unequivocally denied any intentions of joining the Congress party for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. In an exclusive interview, Rajan asserted that his primary focus remains on academic endeavors and providing guidance wherever possible. He emphasized, “I have repeatedly stated that I am an academic, and my business is not kissing babies.”
Rajan further elaborated that his family and wife strongly oppose his entry into politics, saying, “I have a family and a wife who doesn’t want me to enter politics for a good reason…”
Recent rumors about Rajan’s potential political involvement arose from his appearance in a video circulating on social media, where he was seen walking alongside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Earlier, in an interview, Gandhi had engaged Rajan in a discussion on the current economic climate in India, the United States, and other nations, as well as challenges confronting small industries and economic inequality.
Commenting on the economy, Rajan acknowledged, “This one had lots of difficulties with the war and all that. Growth is going to be slow in the world more generally as people are raising interest rates, that brings down growth.”
Prior to the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, there were widespread speculations that Rajan might contest as a Congress candidate or run for the Rajya Sabha elections from Maharashtra. These rumors stemmed from his meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. However, Rajan’s recent statements have effectively dispelled all such rumors about his political aspirations.
