Dynasty Politics Of BJP Has Spread Fast. Its List Of Dynast Leaders Is Only Getting Longer
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In the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP, among other issues, harped on the “dynasty politics” of the Congress to build its poll campaign. The BJP built a carefully crafted image of Narendra Modi, then the chief minister of Gujarat, and used it to contrast with that of the Gandhi family in the poll campaign. Modi, with no children and spouse, was the ideal contender for the Prime Minister’s chair at a time when the discontent among voters over dynasty politics and nepotism-related corruption was at its peak. This, among other things, led to Modi’s meteoric rise in power, and the momentum continued in 2019. However, the same dynasty plank has come to bite the BJP now.
Dynasty Politics Claims Against BJP Grow Louder
Upset over the denial of a ticket to his son KE Kantesh, senior BJP leader from Karnataka KS Eshwarappa has decided to contest elections as an independent. Eshwarappa’s “rebellion” could prove to be a headache for the BJP as the senior leader is contesting the Shivamogga seat against former CM BS Yediyurappa’s son and sitting MP BY Raghavendra. Eshwarappa says he is fighting to end “the reign of one family” in Karnataka.
In the east, one family seems to have opened the front for an all-out war against PM Modi and the BJP over the “lies” of the saffron party. The Yadavs of Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal are targetting the Modi government, accusing it of peddling falsehoods and having a fake stand on dynasty politics. Last week, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav shared a poem on social media calling out the BJP for its lies over its fight against “parivaarvad“. Later, his son Tejashwi Yadav, pointed out that PM Modi speaks of dynasty politics everywhere, but failed to mention the same in his public address in Jamui, Bihar, because the NDA had fielded Chirag Paswan, a dynast, from the seat for the Lok Sabha polls.
#WATCH | Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, “We are going to Jamui and will present our views among the people. When PM Modi went to Jamui, he did not talk about ‘Parivarvad’ because everywhere in Bihar their own candidates are from some… pic.twitter.com/FUjrijN9iH
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2024
Has BJP Become The Very Product It Fought Against?
The allegations are not totally unfounded. The BJP and its allies have fielded several dynasts or candidates from political families, despite the saffron party’s tall claims of being against familialism. Here are some of the well-known dynasts, on whom the BJP is heavily relying for victory in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Scindia Dynasty In Madhya Pradesh
The most prominent dynast in the BJP is perhaps Jyotiraditya Scindia. The BJP has fielded Jyotiraditya Scindia, the scion of Gwalior’s royal Scindia family, from the Guna seat in Madhya Pradesh. Jyotiraditya’s father Madhavrao Scindia was a nine-time MP who fought on tickets of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the Congress, and even as an independent, but never lost. Jyotiraditya’s grandmother, too, was an eight-time MP who never lost an election.
Jyotiraditya Scindia’s family relations extend to former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje and ex-minister in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Cabinet, Yashodhara Raje Scindia. Yashodhara’s sister, Padmavati, was married to the Maharaja of Tripura and three-time Tripura East Lok Sabha seat MP Kirit Bikram Kishore Deb Barman.
Scindia Dynasts In Rajasthan
The extent of the clout of the Scindias of Gwalior can be gauged from the fact that it extends to the western state of Rajasthan. Here, too, the BJP has not shied away from fielding a prominent dynast — Dushyant Singh — for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Son of senior BJP leader and two-time CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Dushyant has been a four-time MP from Jhalawar / Jhalawar-Baran Lok Sabha constituency.
BJP-NDA Dynasts In Bihar
The BJP has fielded at least four dynasts in Bihar as well. The BJP’s NDA partners in Bihar have seven dynast candidates among them. The BJP has fielded former state BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, who is the son of three-time Lok Sabha MP and BJP co-founder Madan Prasad Jaiswal. Sanjay Jaiswal is contesting the Bettiah seat, which Madan Prasad won thrice in 1996, 1998, and 1999.
Another dynast is Vivek Thakur, the son of Chandreshwar Prasad Thakur, Padma Shri recipient and former minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. CP Thakur was a three-time Lok Sabha MP. He was also a Rajya Sabha MP. Vivek Thakur, too, is a BJP Rajya Sabha MP and has now been fielded from the Nawada Lok Sabha constituency.
Another Padma award recipient’s son is also in the Lok Sabha polls fray. Ashok Kumar Yadav, son of five-time MP and former Union Minister Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, has been renominated from the Madhubani constituency, a seat he won in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2019, won the Madhubani seat four times.
The last dynast candidate of the BJP from Bihar is Sushil Kumar Singh, son of two-time Janata Dal MP from Aurangabad, Ramnaresh Singh. Sushil, a four-time MP who moved to the BJP from Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) in 2014, will be defending the Aurangabad seat.
BJP’s Dynasty Politics In PM Modi’s Home State — Gujarat
Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is not far behind when it comes to ‘parivaarvad’ of the BJP. In Gujarat, the BJP has decided to field the daughter of six-time MLA and two-time Jamnagar mayor Hemant Maadam. A former MLA, Poonam Maadam moved to the BJP from the Congress in 2012 and defeated her uncle Vikram Maadam in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP has also fielded Bharatsinh Dabhi, son of six-time Kheralu MLA Shankarji Thakor, from the Patan seat.
Dynasts Of BJP In The South
BJP candidates’ list for Lok Sabha elections 2024 features the daughter of Telugu Desam Party founder NT Rama Rao — D Purandeshwari — in Andhra Pradesh. Another dynast on the BJP list is former Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy, the son of former Union minister Amaranath Reddy. Both Purandeshwari and Kiran Kumar were formerly with the Congress.
In Telangana’s Mahabubnagar, the BJP is banking heavily on DK Aruna, who comes from one of the most influential families in the state. Aruna, a former Congress MLA, married Congress leader DK Bharathsimha Reddy at the age of 16. Her father Chittem Narsi Reddy and brother Chittem Venkateswar Reddy were both Congress leaders.
In Karnataka, where the BJP has some sway, the saffron party has fielded BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Raghavendra from Shivamogga. Former CM Basavaraj Bommai, who is the son of the fourth Karnataka CM SR Bommai, has been fielded from the Haveri-Gadag Lok Sabha constituency.
What Does BJP Have To Say On ‘Parivaarvad’ Allegations?
The BJP has reacted to the allegations of promoting familialism, saying that deserving candidates will continue to get prominence in BJP. Delhi BJP spokesperson Ajay Sehrawat told ABP Live: “Just the fact that someone comes from a political party, or is the son or daughter of a political leader doesn’t make them ineligible to participate in the electoral process.”
He added: “All our presidents like Nitin Gadkari, JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, and others come from families with no political background. BJP is against one person taking over the entire party. Look at Tejashwi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, the Gandhis… they have taken over entire parties.”
On rebel leader Eashwarappa, he said: “The Opposition is blowing up the issue. They point at one leader and say that they want their entire parties to run like that.”
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