Her timing was politically perfect - on her father, Pramod Mahajan's first birth anniversary, October 30, she announced her decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party as a primary member. Her political initiation overshadowed the screening of the cinematic tribute, Prerna, that her brother, Rahul, had arranged in memory of his father.

The fresh BJP party member denies that there is any rivalry between the two siblings. "I don't think my announcement came as a surprise to anyone," she says. "If my father was still alive, I would have joined the party at some time or the other. I spent a lot of time with him and interacted with many leaders and party workers. I have my own connectivity, my own base."

She regrets that Rahul and she are being pitted against each other with questions about who is the true Mahajan political heir. "We are both his children… Such an issue is irrelevant. As far as Rahul is concerned, he has been working on social causes for a while now. He will continue with that. Our genes have given us the capacity to do good work on practical development issues. I thought I could contribute my bit through politics. I do have the skills to become a politician. And, plus the party was pestering me to join." Ah.

Mention Rahul and it is impossible to ignore the recent disturbing news reports about trouble in his newly-minted married life. When I gently ask Poonam about her reaction to the fresh crisis in her brother's life, she replies, "I really do not want to comment on these recent allegations."

The rather reserved girl has seen and survived it all - the tension-filled moments when she, along with close family members, had to rush her father, Pramod Mahajan (then the BJP general secretary), to the hospital soon after he was shot by his brother, Pravin, early one morning in April. A few weeks later, antagonistic attention befell Rahul, giving an unconnected twist to the Mahajan melodrama. The scion of the family was charge sheeted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, soon after he was hospitalised, following a late-night incident at his father's New Delhi residence…. Once again, Poonam had no choice but to step out from the fringes into the limelight - just as she had done earlier to take care of the many well-wishers who thronged to the hospital in Mumbai…. Both the cases are still sub judice.

Poonam seems to take to public appearances with ease. Interestingly, as one of her close friends revealed, in Delhi, when Rahul was released, it was his younger sister who orchestrated the press conference and also addressed the gathering. Her speech moved the former Prime Minister to call her. "Atalji said that he had tears in his eyes after I spoke…I was touched when he called," she states.