In fact in this 2 km stretch of premium New Delhi, there are several other landmarks named in honour of the country’s unofficial first family.

There is Rajiv Gandhi Chowk (which was once the inner circle of Connaught Circus) and Indira Gandhi Chowk, (which was the outer circle), there is the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, which houses the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the Nehru Memorial Library just a short distance away.

Of course, if you move outside this small stretch you will stumble across many more institutions named after the dynasty — from the Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi Open Universities to the domestic and international airports.

Jostling for place

There is a degree of rivalry between the two prominent Muslims in the BJP, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shanawaz Hussain. In a party with a clear-cut Hindutva agenda there is place for only one token minority in a prominent position. Naqvi had a head start since he was the first to win a Lok Sabha seat, was once a minister of state at the center, and later appointed party spokesperson and general- secretary.

But Hussain, who entered the party as Uma Bharati’s protege, and is only a party secretary, is catching up fast. His recent victory from Bhagalpur is one more feather in his cap. With Rajnath Singh likely to bring in a new team of office-bearers after he gets re-appointed party president, both men are jostling for an important position in the party. Naqvi, a former acolyte of Venkiah Naidu, is keen to play down his links with his former mentor just as Hussain is trying to shrug off the Bharati tag.

... contd.