Can BJP afford to take the high moral ground on dynasts?
For the BJP, it’s ‘Ma-Beta’ in the Congress (implying Sonia and Rahul Gandhi) and ‘Pishi-Bhaipo’ in Trinamool Congress (implying Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee). Then, they point to KCR and his son in Telangana, and Karunanidhi and Stalin in Tamil Nadu. And they are untouchable in dynastic politics.
But the reality is quite different, and the recent reshuffle in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shown the saffron party leaders for what they are. But it’s only the latest in a long line.
While Sourav Ganguly had to give way to someone else as BCCI president, Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah retained the coveted post of secretary.
The current treasurer, Arun Dhumal will become the next IPL chairman. He is the younger brother of Union minister Anurag Thakur and grandson of the former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Prem Kumar Dhumal.
In a similar manner, Pankaj Singh, the son of top leader Rajnath Singh, is the MLA of Noida. Influential Union minister Kiren Rijiju is the son of Rinchin Rijiju, who was a speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, formerly of the Congress, belongs to a storied political dynasty while Suvendu Adhikari from Bengal and his brothers’ rise and power in politics is mostly the result of their being the son of the influential Contai MP Sisir Adhikari.
Therefore, it’s anybody’s guess how much BJP believes in dynastic politics.
