Family members of politicians across the spectrum in Maharashtra are increasingly finding their way to the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.
Senior Congress leader Datta Meghe's son Sagar has got the party ticket from Wardha. Pramod Mahajan's daughter Poonam will fight Congress' Priya Dutt on a BJP ticket. Priya is the daughter of Sunil Dutt.
Opposition leader Eknath Khadse's daughter-in-law Raksha is likely to get a BJP ticket from Raver in Jalgaon. NCP leader Ishwarlal Jain's son will contest from Raver on an NCP ticket. Supriya Sule, NCP chief Sharad Pawar's daughter, has been renominated from Baramati.
Forest and rehabilitation minister Patangrao Kadam's son Vishwajeet has been trying for a Congress ticket from Pune. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan's wife Ameeta has been nominated by the Congress from Nanded.
Senior Congress leader Murli Deora's son Milind will contest again from South Mumbai. Industrial minister Narayan Rane's son Nilesh has been renominated by the Congress from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurgh. Former minister AT Pawar's daughter Bharati is the NCP nominee from Dindori.
"Heriditary politics is not limited to the Nehru-Gandhi family. The Shiv Sena or the BJP is no better," Surendra Jondhale, professor of political science at Mumbai university, said. "Politicians encourage dynastic politics to keep power within the family."
Jondhale said dynastic politics is bad for democracy. "It stops good leaders from coming up and breeds sycophants. If a couple of people come up on their own merit, they are deprived of opportunities at the upper level. It is not a sign of a vibrant and healthy democracy."
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said if a person is capable and has the potential to fulfil voters' expectations, there is nothing wrong in giving him/her a party ticket. "People from a dynasty should be the natural choice of voters. But no party should impose him/her on voters."
A Congress leader said if a doctor's son can become a doctor there is nothing wrong in a politician's son/daughter becoming a politician. "If they can prove themselves, they can remain in politics. Dynasty may help one get a ticket; but he/she has to prove his/her mettle in the political space to remain a leader."
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