A new generation of India's most powerful political dynasty -- the Nehru-Gandhi family -- is making its mark in ongoing elections. Regardless of hype, family name is by no means a guarantee of success, reports Jaideep Mukerji from New Delhi The family tree reads like a who's who of Indian politics: Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, a political dynasty of larger-than-life prime ministers whose roots stretch all the way back to India's independence. It is difficult to underestimate the impact "for better or worse" the Nehru-Gandhi family has had in shaping the face of modern India. Yet even though the dynasty remains a potent political brand in India, this year's elections are proving a serious test of resolve for a family that has clearly reached a critical juncture in its political history. For starters, there is the ideological split that has divided the family into two camps. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, the children of current Indian National Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and of the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi are high profile members of the party whereas their first cousin, Varun Gandhi along with his mother Maneka, are campaigning for the Congress' political nemesis, the ruling Bharatiya Jananta Party (BJP). With exit polls after three rounds of voting predicting a closer race than previously expected between the BJP and the Congress, pressure on the new generation of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to deliver results for their respective political parties is mounting. No one feels the political heat as much as Rahul Gandhi. The 33 year-old is making his political debut in these elections by contesting a seat from Amethi, the riding (or electoral district) that previously helped launch the political careers of both his parents. Closely flanked by his sister Priyanka, 36, Rahul's campaign has attracted large crowds and fuelled even larger expectations. Despite insisting that his political ambitions lie solely with winning his seat and serving his constituency in Amethi, it is clear that many within the Congress hope that both Rahul and Priyanka will be instrumental in helping lift the party out of the doldrums and back into power after a decade on the opposition benches. Talk to Jagdarnbika Pal, Congress president for Uttar Pradesh, the state where Rahul's constituency is located, and one gets a clear picture of just how deep these expectations run. "Polling is already completed in some parts of Uttar Pradesh and out of the 32 ridings that have already gone to the polls, it looks like Congress is going to get 15 to 20 seats. That is simply unprecedented and some of those seats were won solely because of Rahul and Priyanka," he told Al-Ahram Weekly. "I have never seen in my whole life such crowds as the ones Rahul and Priyanka draw. The whole Congress party is mad for them; everyone keeps asking us if Rahul and Priyanka can campaign in their constituency." A quick trip to Rahul's riding in Amethi also reveals no shortage of well-wishers eager to heap praise on the political newcomer. "He is a great man, he is from the Gandhi family," explains Kishur Modi, a 30 year-old shopkeeper. Although confessing that he does not know where Rahul stands on most issues, Modi maintains that he has "no doubt that Rahul Gandhi will make a great leader for our country". "They have made many sacrifices for India," says Pavan Sharma, a rickshaw driver from a neighbouring constituency in Lucknow, "I only wish he was running for office here instead." Varun Gandhi, whose father Sanjay was tipped to eventually inherit the Gandhi mantle before his untimely death in 1979, attempted to explain to the Weekly just why the Gandhi name still resonates so strongly with the public. "Although it may sound arrogant, I think India and the Gandhis have grown together," he said. "Sacrifice in India is seen as a very noble virtue and there is a sense that my family has given their lives, given their blood for this nation. My grandmother was assassinated. My uncle was assassinated. My great grandfather was in jail for 15 years. There is a sense that we have not sought power for its own sake but for loftier goals." The fact that Varun Gandhi is choosing the BJP as the party from which to pursue these loftier goals is a significant coup for the BJP and a major shock to the Nehru-Gandhi family. Though at 24 years old he is too young to run for office, Varun has proved an articulate campaigner who, by simple virtue of being a Gandhi, scores important blows to Congress when he criticises his own aunt's suitability to run for the office of prime minister. Yet despite the media hype and large crowds, the Gandhi name is clearly not infallible. According to a recent India Today poll, Varun's mother Maneka, a six term independent MP who only recently joined the BJP, is in serious danger of losing her seat. Her Italian born sister-in-law, Sonia Gandhi, is an even better example of how the Gandhi name is no guarantee of success. Dogged by questions raised over her foreign origins and lack of political experience, Sonia led Congress to a disappointing result in India's last general elections in 1999, garnering only 19 per cent of the vote. Her personal popularity ratings remain low, and while having recently shown signs of improvement, still pale in comparison to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Despite the high hopes Congress officials express for Rahul and Priyanka's ability to rejuvenate the party, and perhaps restore some shine to the Nehru-Gandhi family name, some experts warn that the brother and sister duo's rapid rise to Congress stardom is a double-edged sword that highlights the fact that Congress at times is more akin to a family business than a political entity. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, a long time journalist and author of a recent book on Indian politics, explained to the Weekly that "The [Congress] party's 'High Command' decision making structure and the party's willing submission to the dynastic rule of the Nehru-Gandhi family were major reasons for the party's decline." "There are signs that the electorate in India is maturing as well," said Thakurta. While agreeing that personality still mattered a great deal, he felt that "Indians are increasingly depending less on the charisma of an individual and more with that person's political vision and capabilities." It is a message that the Gandhi family seems to be taking to heart. Rahul and Priyanka are managing to strike a delicate balance between basking in their family's legacy while at the same time making it clear that they intend to forge their own path in Indian politics. Rahul recently summed up the situation by telling reporters in Amethi, "I am not Rajiv Gandhi, I am Rahul Gandhi." Though standing on the other side of a political divide, Varun Gandhi echoed his cousin's feelings, telling the Weekly that his family was keenly aware that while it was a valuable asset, the Nehru-Gandhi name by no means guaranteed success at the ballot box. "A defective lion cub is no lion," he said. "People sink or swim based on their ability, and we are no different. Only the people can decide if they want us to represent their interests."
