Plot

Samar, the son of a political family, has chosen to go to the USA to live with his girlfriend. However, the death of his father makes him put his plans on hold and enter the dirty world of politics.

Sooraj who is abandoned by Bharti Rai is raised by a driver who works under a politician's family. Belonging to a prominent Uttar Pradesh-family of ruthless politicians, Samar Pratap is about to return to his Irish-American girlfriend, Sarah, in the U.S. and obtain a PhD, but cancels his trip when his father, Chandra, is shot dead. He decides to stay put and avenge this slaying but ends up dealing with aspiring politician, Indu Sakseria, who wants to wed him; his brother, Prithviraj, who has been granted control of the Rashtrawadi Party but is facing imprisonment on charges of Assaulting a Police Officer and Sexual Molestation; his cousin, Veerendra, who wants control of the party; and his astute maternal uncle, Brij Gopal - who secretly controls the entire family. Before he could even handle these situations, Sarah arrives in India and will soon accuse him of being a manipulative and conniving politician.—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

It is the story of a fiercely fought election campaign, where money power and corruption are the accepted norms, and where treachery and manipulation are routinely used weapons. As the personal drama of these conflict-ridden characters unfolds against this gritty backdrop, love and friendship become mere baits, and relationships get sacrificed at the altar of political alignments. The darkness that rises from their souls threatens to envelope all that they hold precious. Until eventually, in the crescendo of increasing violence, the line between good and evil blurs, making it impossible to distinguish heroes from villains. Raajneeti is the story of Indian democracy. And its ugly underside. It is about politics. And beyond.

Ramnath Rai is the CM of UP, but daughter Bharti Rai joins a youth movement led by charismatic leader Bhaskar Sanyal (Naseeruddin Shah) & opposes her father. Ramnath Rai advisor is Brij Gopal (Nana Patekar). Bhaskar is at the cusp of political upheaval when Bharti has sex with Bhaskar & Bhaskar leaves under guilt. Bharti gives birth to a boy which is taken away by Brij & floated away in Ganga. Then Brij arranges Bharti's wedding with Rastrawadi leader Bhanu Pratap's brother Chandra Pratap.

Its 30 yrs since & the baby is Sooraj (Ajay Devgan) who is now son of Chandra's driver & a local celebrity in a strong Dalit community. Samar (Ranbir Kapoor), Chandra's son comes back from US for Bhanu's BDay. Aspiring politician, Indu Saxena (Katrina Kaif) is daughter of Bhanu's family friend Saxena, wants to wed him & have vigorous sex with him. But he ain't that interested. Bhanu's party was voted to power the last 3 times, but last time it didn't get majority so it supported Ramnath's party to form a Govt, and now want Ramnath to resign which he refuses. So, Bhanu withdraws support. Just as Ramnath resigns Bhanu has a stroke. He appoints Chandra as party president & Chandra's elder son Prithvi (Arjun Rampal) as General Secy. Bhanu's son Veerendra (Manoj Bajpai) is angry.

As election looms Veerendra presents his list of candidates to Chandra, & puts his own name on Bhanu's old seat. But Chandra refuses the list & says that he himself will contest Bhanu's old seat. As election looms Sooraj announces himself as a candidate for the Rastravadi party from his constituency. He even storms the party core committee meeting where he is insulted by Prithvi, but Veerendra supports Sooraj & makes him a core party member. Meanwhile Indu professes her love for Samar, but he refuses.

Brij convinces Chandra to give Veerendra his preferred seat & then conspire to make him loose. The Brij plays politics & offers the Dalit seat to Sooraj's father Ram Charitra. Veeru & Sooraj are told that Chandra will be the CM candidate, but Veeru thinks that job should be rightfully his own. Chandra threatens Veeru with suspension from party. Samar Pratap is about to return to his Irish-American girlfriend, Sarah, in the U.S. and obtain a PhD, but cancels his trip when Chandra, is shot dead. He decides to stay put and avenge this slaying. Prithvi is jailed for manhandling the police officer on hospital duty. Veeru approaches paralyzed Bhanu to take command of party. He then uses a disgruntled female party worker to lodge a forced sex case on Prithvi. Samar approaches Veerendra with a promise that in exchange of Prithvi's freedom the whole family will leave country. But at Chandra's funeral Prithvi & Samar swear revenge.

Samar & Prithvi crash Veeru's rally where he was to announce his CM candidature. Samar takes stage & takes the sympathy vote & the public announces Prithvi as the CM candidate of the party. In desperation Veeru gets Bhanu to expel Prithvi from party, which is what Samar wanted. Samar manages the entire launch of the new Jan Shakti party. Veeru starves them of funds by cornering the business community. Sooraj works very closely with Veeru. To get money Samar even agrees to marry Indu as her dad is a rich businessman. But Saxena demands that Indu be married to Prithvi. Samar insists & Prithvi agrees. Sooraj tells media that while Prithvi is on campaign trail, Samar is having sex with Indu. Meanwhile Sarah arrives from US.

As Prithvi's campaign falters, Samar blackmails a high official of Rastravadi party to lay corruption charges against Veeru & Sooraj. The same person also tells Samar that Sooraj had planned the assassination of Chandra. Samar then proceeds to kill him using a mobile phone bomb. He then has sex with Sarah. Sarah suspects Samar to have a hand in the mobile phone bomb escapade. Veeru plans to use the cop & the girl to raise the forced sex case again, so Prithvi kills them both. Sarah watches the girl being kidnapped by men who work for Samar. She wants to leave as she is preggers. Samar promises to leave everything & go with her after the election.

Samar bribes Rastravadi party members to file wrong nomination papers due to which 97 candidates get rejected. As Veeru gets desperate, he orders a bomb blast which claims Sarah & Prithvi. Brij goes to kill Sooraj & then finds that Sooraj is Bharti's son & hence Samar's step-brother. Bharti goes to meet Sooraj & tells him the truth, but Sooraj says that Veeru supported him when no-one else would, & he will never desert him.

Samar pulls Indu into the campaign & rides the sympathy vote. Veeru suspects Samar of rigging the electronic voting machines & follows a tip to an abandoned factory. Its a trap. Sooraj follows. he has the drop on Samar, but lets him go. Samar shoots Veeru & then corners Sooraj & kills him from behind. Indu becomes CM & is preggers with Prithvi's child. Samar goes back to US to care for Sarah's mom & to complete his PhD