NEW DELHI (AP) — Political observers in India are watching to see whether the scion of the country's most important modern political dynasty can retain a seat in Parliament and revive his party's fortunes.

As India's marathon general election nears the finish line, opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi is beginning to seem like more of a credible leader. But it's unclear whether the 48-year-old has done enough to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Critics accuse Gandhi — the son, grandson and great-grandson of Indian prime ministers — of being aloof. Modi derides him as the "shehzada," or prince.

But with small businesses and farmers hurt by some of Modi's signature policies, and mob attacks on Muslims on the rise, Gandhi and the secular politics the Congress party has long represented are resonating.