The Dynasty

Sanjay Gandhi was once considered Indira Gandhi's successor. His death was a major personal and political blow to the late prime minister.

His wife, Maneka, was rejected by the 'Dynasty'. It took her several years of struggle to finally carve a niche for herself. She contested as an independent candidate and got elected to the Lok Sabha from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh.

She started moving towards the BJP around 1996 and served as a Union minister for two years under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee until she was dropped.

Debate: Would you vote for a film star-politician?

However, the ties with the BJP continued to improve and the junior bahu (daughter-in-law) of the Gandhi-Nehru family finally joined the saffron party on February 16 along with her 24-year-old son Varun.

Maneka is better known as an animal rights activist.

After donning the saffron attire, she said: "Yes, it's difficult to go from single to marital status. But anyone who knows me well will know that no one can subsume my identity."

Young Varun will be the BJP's answer to the Congress party's trump cards: Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra.

Varun does not seem to want to burn his bridges with the Dynasty as yet. Immediately after joining the BJP, he said he would not campaign against his tai (Sonia).

But the savvy politician did not mind talking about Sonia Gandhi's foreign origins at a public rally in Mumbai days after joining the BJP.

Photo: Sondeep Shankar/Saab Press

Also see: The Young Turk

Tell us what you think of this slide show Send this page