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Dynasty Politics in India: Gandhi, Pawar, Laloo Yadav: No Qualifications Required

In Indian politics, we always see dynasty playing a big role. The Gandhi dynasty is the most visible example. Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi. I can understand this happening in businesses, but why does this have to be so in politics. In fact, recently when the Andhra Chief Minister died in a chopper crash, verybody rallied around his son Jagan (I think) to be the CM of AP. Even the senior party members propose his name. Why? Just because he is the ex-CM’s son? Don’t these people have any brains? They are there serve the people of the land and not the party chief or the CM. It just defies all logic.

A similar thing happened when Congress won the elections in 2002. The senior congress leaders were literally begging on national TV to Sonia Gandhi to take up the PM’s post. She was, thankfully, sensible enough not to bow to the pressure.  When there are senior and capable leaders (and I think he is really honest too) like Dr. Manmohan Singh to lead the country, why would you want some lady from a foreign country who has no experience in running any state or a city for that matter be able to run the country. I was watching in utter disgust as leader after leader was appealing to ‘Soniaji” to “please lead us” – like a bunch of cheap nincompoops! Don’t they have any self respect? Well I guess they don’t. I don’t have any negative opinion about Sonia Gandhi, and I think she has done a very sensible job from the party’s perspective by keeping these bunch of so called politicians together by her charismatic leadership. Don’w we have any “desi bandha” who can do this? Pity!

The latest on the horizon is Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party family politics. Recently after the state elections in Maharashtra where the NCP-Congress combine won a majority, Ajit Pawar who is Shards nephew was slated to be the deputy CM. But due to reasons unknown to many Chagan Bhujbal was chosen. But the issue here is, again Ajit or Supriya Sule (who is Sharad’s daughter) is now slated to be the next person to run the NCP, once Sharad Pawar retires. There are far more capable leaders in the NCP such as Praful Patel who can run the party. But I guess, I don’t know politics runs.

It’s just sad that there is no difference between “political parties” and “family run businesses”. One influential, legacy family such as the Gandhi’s or the Pawar’s start this “business” you keep promoting your kith and kin into running the business (oops, the country). All other members of the party are employees! They work for the “owners” and of course they all make money from us. So we fund these businesses so they can make more money from us. Sounds weird, really!

Do you think is right? Do you think we must have some constitutional amendment that clearly puts the betterment of the citizens first, when forming party leaderships are concerned?

Look at this list and decide for yourself, if we are ruled by a few families or by properly governed political institutions:

• Jawaharlal Nehru
  • Indira Gandhi
    • Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, Maneka Gandhi
      • Rahul Gandhi, Varun Gandhi
        • Next would be – Raihan and Miraya (Priyanka Gandhi’s children)

• S.B.Chavan
  • Ashok Chavan

• M.Karunanidhi (Tamil Nadu)
  • M.K.Stalin, M.K.Azhagiri, Kanimozhi, Murasoli Maran, Dayanidhi Maran

• Laloo Prasad Yadav (Bihar)
  • Rabri Devi

• H.D.Devegowda (Karnataka)
  • H.D.Revanna & H.D.Kumaraswamy

• Vijayraje Scindia (Madhya Pradesh)
  • Madhavrao Scindia, Vasundhara Raje Scindia (Rajasthan), Yashodhara Raje Scindia
    • Jyotiraditya Scindia, Dushyant Singh

• Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla (Madhya Pradesh)
  • Shyama Charan Shukla and Vidya Charan Shukla

• Devi Lal (Haryana)
  • Om Prakash Chautala

• Mulayam Singh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh)
  • Akhilesh Singh Yadav

• Rajesh Pilot (Rajasthan)
  • Sachin Pilot

There are just too many to list here! You get the idea!