What's in a name? For the teenage son of Benazir Bhutto, analysts say, almost everything.

They say that while the family name guarantees he will have legions of supporters, it means almost as many will try to bring him down.

In South Asia, political dynasties command cult-like devotion from largely feudal societies, and Benazir's son Bilawal knows he can rely on the support of millions of Pakistan's impoverished farmers and city-dwellers.

The strength of the Benazir brand was made clearer than ever on Sunday, when it was announced that, after taking the reins of her Pakistan People's Party, he had added her surname -- to become Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The bespectacled 19-year-old then invoked her in his first speech as leader — but declaring "my mother always told me that democracy is the best revenge" betrayed the fact that vengeance and tragedy haunt his family, analysts say.

"He faces the challenge of keeping the party united when he comes of age and directly assumes the responsibility of chairman, against the backdrop of the Bhutto family's history of violent deaths,' analyst Hasan Askari told AFP.

Apart from Benazir, his grandfather and party founder Zulfiqar Ali

Bhutto was executed under martial law, while his uncles Shahnawaz and Murtaza died of poisoning and shooting respectively.

The PPP has used their deaths -all of them are now referred to by their followers with the title "Shaheed", or martyr — to build devotion among the party faithful.

"In parties with charismatic leaders, particularly in third-world countries, bloodlines are very, very important because they give legitimacy to succession, and that is why Bilawal changed his name," analyst Shafqat Mahmood told AFP.

"One would say in any democratic society that a 19-year-old being party chairman is strange. But it is not strange when you are dealing with charismatic, leader-led parties," said Mahmood.

The sight of hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis flocking to the family mausoleum for Benazir Bhutto's funeral illustrated the immense hold the name still has on the party's followers.

Most were rural folk living on the Bhutto family's extensive lands in southern Sindh province - villagers who on election day expect to be driven to the polls by loyal local mayors, their votes in the bag.

Choosing Bilawal as leader was also seen as crucial at a time when the party faces yet another tragedy, heading off succession problems and papering over cracks in the party over Benazir's dealings with President Pervez Musharraf.