Is Rahul Gandhi’s nephew Raihan being groomed for a political debut?

New Delhi: Priyanka Gandhi is becoming the latest member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to take an electoral plunge but is the stage being set for the next generation to enter politics too?

Days ahead of Priyanka Gandhi fighting her first-ever poll battle as she contests the bypoll to Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, slated to be held on November 13, her son, Raihan Vadra – whose public appearances have been extremely rare, has appeared in a video released by his uncle Rahul Gandhi.

In the nine-minute video shared by Rahul Gandhi on X, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is seen interacting with workers sprucing up his mother Sonia Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence for Diwali and lending them a hand by scraping away old plaster while perched on a stepladder and his nephew is seen with him. Raihan, 24, also tries to emulate his uncle’s aid to the workers.

The video also shows Rahul Gandhi visiting a woman-led pottery business in the west Delhi locality of Uttam Nagar, interacting with the women, her daughters, and other helpers, as well as trying his hand at crafting a diya.

Interspersed are Rahul Gandhi and Raihan, clad in spotless white kurtas walking around their residence at dusk, with the uncle acquainting his nephew with the role of the unseen workers who make houses shine bright for Diwali and the effort of the craftspeople who create even the simple diya. However, Raihan does not speak much and mostly nods to his uncle’s remarks.

The sudden appearance of Raihan as his uncle seeks to create the informal interactions of his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi in the runup to Diwali are kindling speculations if the Gandhis are angling for the next generation to don the political mantle too.

Raihan is active on social media too with an X account, where he describes himself as an artist, but usually comments on cricket and reposts his mother and uncle’s posts, as well as some other sports news.

IANS