All in the family: When dynasty rules Delhi dynamics

The election battlefield is once again dominated by family legacies, with heirs to political dynasties vying to retain or reclaim their family’s influence.
Image used for representational purposes only
Image used for representational purposes onlyPhoto | Express Illustrations
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NEW DELHI: In the run-up to the Delhi assembly elections, dynastic politics continues to take centre stage, despite political parties’ repeated condemnations of nepotism. The election battlefield is once again dominated by family legacies, with heirs to political dynasties vying to retain or reclaim their family’s influence.

From the grandson of a former Prime Minister to the children of three former Chief Ministers, the trend of political heirs running for office is evident across party lines.

Sitting MLAs are also making way for their kin, solidifying the grip of dynastic politics in the capital. For the first time, the sons of three former chief ministers are contesting simultaneously.

Harish Khurana, son of former BJP Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana, is running alongside Parvesh Verma, son of another BJP CM, Sahib Singh Verma. Congress, too, has embraced dynastic politics, fielding Sandeep Dikshit, son of the late Sheila Dikshit, a three-term Delhi CM, from the New Delhi constituency.

The party has also nominated Adarsh Shastri, the son of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, from Dwarka. Mudit Agarwal, son of three-time Lok Sabha MP JP Agarwal, will contest from the Chandni Chowk seat. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), often seen as a proponent of meritocracy, has not shied away from the dynastic trend either.

The party has fielded several candidates who are the children of current and former MLAs, raising questions about its anti-dynastic stance.

Vikas Bagga, son of SK Bagga, has been nominated by AAP to contest from the Krishna Nagar seat, replacing his father. Similarly, Purundeep Sahni, son of Prahlad Sahni, is contesting from Chandni Chowk.

In Matia Mahal, Shoaib Iqbal has stepped aside for his son, Ale Mohammad Iqbal, to run on an AAP ticket. Additionally, Zubair Ahmed, son of former Seelampur MLA Mateen Ahmed, is AAP’s candidate for Seelampur. The trend also extends beyond assembly seats, with several women councillors’ husbands securing tickets from AAP. Ramesh Pehlwan, husband of councillor Kusum Lata, will contest from Kasturba Nagar, while Tarun Yadav, husband of Meena Yadav, is running from Najafgarh.

Poonam Bhardwaj’s husband, Surendra Bhardwaj, is contesting from Bijwasan. The BJP has also nominated Manish Chaudhary, husband of Neetu Chaudhary, for the Okhla seat, while Mahendra Chaudhary, husband of Rekha Chaudhary, is contesting from Mehrauli on an AAP ticket.

Despite the frequent criticism of dynastic politics by rival parties, their actions tell a different story. The preference for political heirs at the expense of grassroots workers highlights the reliance on established family names and the associated goodwill.

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