CHANDIGARH: The drubbing the Congress received in the 2014 general elections may be a testimony to India’s rejection of dynastic politics, but the business of netagiri continues to flourish among the powerful political clans of Haryana.
The families of Chautalas, Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal have forever dominated the political landscape of the state. Their hold seems set to grow stronger as their third and fourth generations have also jumped into the political fray. (See illustration.)
Many senior Congress leaders, too, are not contesting polls this time to make way for their kin. The Congress has given tickets to Mandeep Singh Chatha, son of finance minister HS Chatha from Pehowa; Varun Chaudhary, son of former state Congress president Phool Chand Mullana; Virender Shah, brother of senior leader Balbir Pal Shah; and Virendra Singh, son of Rao Dharampal. Local Bodies Minister Savitri Jindal, mother of ex-MP Naveen Jindal, is contesting from Hisar. The BJP, too, has given Vandana Sharma, the younger sister of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, ticket from Safidon, while Sushma’s close aide, Latika Sharma, will be contesting from Kalka.