Dynasty's next: Raihan Rajiv Vadra waits in the wings

The UK-educated youngster, now a professional photographer, possesses the requisite qualifications for politics

- AJAY JHA

Another video from Rahul Gandhi has surfaced, ostensibly showing him connecting with the common people of India, particularly the labour class. The video, uploaded on his social media handle, captures him interacting with workers painting walls at 10, Janpath bungalow, the Gandhi family's residence for 35 years. Such attempts at displaying solidarity with common citizens have of late become a recurring theme in his political narrative.

However, what caught media attention was his conversation with nephew Raihan Vadra, son of his younger sister Priyanka Gandhi. Since then, speculation has been rife about this being a soft launch of Raihan as a prospective sixth-generation politician from the Nehru-Gandhi family. The timing of this appearance, alongside his uncle in what seems to be a carefully choreographed interaction, has set political circles abuzz with discussions about dynastic succession in India's grand old party.

With Rahul Gandhi, now 54 and single with no marriage on the horizon, political circles have been debating intensely about who would carry forward the famed family's political legacy after the siblings Rahul and Priyanka. The focus has increasingly been on Raihan, especially after his name was changed some time back to include his maternal grandfather's, now reading as Raihan Rajiv Vadra. This name change, far from being a mere formality, carries significant political weight in a country where dynastic politics continues to play a crucial role.