Varun's star, Rahul's fortunes

Political reporters have attributed Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi's fall from grace in the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah run Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) team to several reasons, including his proximity to Rajnath Singh. But the real reason, says a veteran political observer, was simple. The fates of the two cousins, Congress Vice-President Rahul and Varun, were intertwined despite the two representing rival political parties. The BJP has no use for Varun now that Rahul's political star is on the wane. Varun has cordial relations with both Priyanka and Rahul. On Monday, the entire Gandhi family is said to have congratulated Varun and his wife Yamini on the birth of their daughter Anasuya.