New Delhi, Aug 30:The latest addition to India's Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, the day-old son of Priyanka Gandhi, is destined for political greatness say astrologers and the media in unison.An ecstatic media dubbed the baby a crown prince and said he resembled his maternal grandfather, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, whose mother Indira Gandhi and grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru were also prime ministers. ‘Rajiv is back’ screamed The Pioneer, adding, ‘The heir apparent arrives’. Scribes say the baby has Rajiv’s looks: The Times of India already speculated about the boy's political future saying, ‘Will he, won't he?’ while the Indian Express simply said: ‘Gandhi dynasty gets a new member’.
Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of opposition leader Sonia Gandhi and assassinated premier Rajiv Gandhi, gave birth to a boy at 4:04 p.m. on Tuesday. Priyanka's businessman husband, Robert Vadra and Sonia Gandhi were present at the birth.
The Pioneer also said — "With the good looks and personality of grandpa Rajiv and bringing fistfuls of good luck for 'nani' (grandmother) Sonia, Priyanka and Robert Vadra's first born has brought a song to every Congressman's lips".
Predictions on baby’s political career abundant: "Baby Vadra, born under the solar zodiac sign of Venus, is destined for greatness says the crystal ball. The stars ... foretell luck and prosperity and a greatness worthy of a Nehru-Gandhi." Astrologer, Gopal Sharma told the Times of India that the baby boy will "join politics when he turns 22.
"But before that happens, he will bring his father into the field." Meanwhile, The Congress party, reeling under electoral reverses and a sagging image, erupted with joy, immediately seeing the latest addition to the dynasty as a future leader.
"Well that takes care of the succession for the next 70 years," a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity. The Congress ruled India for four decades since the country's 1947 independence from British colonial rule and was led for most of the time by Jawaharlal Nehru and his descendants. Congressmen elevate status of baby to UK royals: Another Congress leader compared it to a royal birth. "It's almost like the birth of Prince William in Britain given that Priyanka's glamour matches that of Diana's," he said. Congress spokeswoman, Ambika Soni summed up the mood in the party and hinted at the baby's future. "We have an inheritor of a great legacy of a great country," she said. R.L. Dwivedi, chairman of the New Delhi chapter of the Indian Council of Astrological Sciences, said the "baby was bound to be a political heavyweight" and was slated to be "intelligent, ambitious and learned." Tarot reader, Meenakshi Rani ruled out a career in business, saying the baby "will move away from his father's line of work. "King of swords in the house of the ascendant, creative thinking and a serious exterior," she said. Priyanka, 28, is very popular with voters. She recently spearheaded the campaign in Sonia Gandhi's Amethi seat in the sprawling north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh which has been a Gandhi family bastion since 1980. However, Priyanka continues to insist she has no plans to launch her own political career.
— AFP