Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party president and vice-president, are seeking re-election from Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies, both in Uttar Pradesh. The mother and son hold 38% stake each in Young Indian, a Section 25 company that was founded in November 2010 and which later acquired Associated Journals Ltd that published the now defunct ‘National Herald’, ‘Navjivan’ and ‘Qaumi Awaz’ newspapers and the ‘International Weekly’ magazine. The so-called Section 25 companies are entities engaged in promoting art, science, religion or charity and have to plough back any profits generated into their pursuits and not distribute them as dividends.

Data available with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) show that while Sonia and Rahul Gandhi do not have any other current business interests, between 28 May 2002 and 25 March 2009, the Congress party vice-president was a director on the board of Backops Services Pvt. Ltd.

RoC data also show that Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, along with his mother Maureen Vadra, has stakes in several companies, including Blue Breeze Trading Pvt. Ltd, Sky Light Reality Pvt. Ltd, North India IT Park Pvt. Ltd, Real Earth Estates Pvt. Ltd, Lifeline Agrotech Pvt. Ltd and Lambodar Art Enterprises India Pvt. Ltd.

Emailed queries sent to Rahul Gandhi’s office remained unanswered. Mint could not ascertain the exact nature of businesses these companies are engaged in. The Congress party has in the past described Vadra as a businessman.