By Admin 
Senior Congress leader and MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor has described dynastic politics as a serious threat to Indian democracy. He said that now the time has come that India should adopt merit instead of dynasty. The Congress MP said that when political power is determined by dynasty rather than ability, commitment or connection at the grassroots level, the quality of governance suffers.
‘Dynasticism dominates the political scene’
In an article written for the international media organization ‘Project Syndicate’, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said that the Nehru-Gandhi family is associated with the Congress, but dynasty is prevalent in the political scenario. This statement of Shashi Tharoor comes a few weeks after the controversy over his comments on India-Pakistan conflict and diplomatic efforts after the Pahalgam attack. His comments at that time were different from the stand of the Congress and many party leaders questioned his intentions and targeted him.
‘What did Tharoor say about Nehru-Gandhi family?
In the article titled ‘Indian Politics is a Family Business’, Tharoor said that one family has dominated Indian politics for decades and the influence of the Nehru-Gandhi family is linked to the history of India’s freedom struggle. He said, “The idea that political leadership can be a birthright is entrenched. This idea is prevalent in every party, every region and every level in Indian politics.”
He said that after the demise of Biju Patnaik, his son Naveen won the vacant Lok Sabha seat of his father. Tharoor said that in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray handed over this post to his son Uddhav and now Uddhav’s son Aditya is also waiting.
Giving an example of political dynasty, he said, “The same applies to Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and whose son Akhilesh Yadav later held the same post. Akhilesh is now an MP and the party president. After Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar, his son Chirag Paswan took charge of the party.”
Dynastic politics dominates in other states too
He also gave examples of dynastic politics in Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Punjab and Tamil Nadu. MP Shashi Tharoor also argued that it (dynastic politics) is not limited to just a few prominent families, but is deeply embedded in the fabric of Indian governance, from gram sabhas to Parliament.
Citing the examples of the Bhutto and Sharif families in Pakistan, the Sheikh and Zia families in Bangladesh and the Bandaranaike and Rajapaksa families in Sri Lanka, he said, “To be honest, this kind of dynastic politics is prevalent throughout the Indian subcontinent.”
Tharoor said, “These seem particularly incongruous with India’s vibrant democracy. Then why has India so completely embraced the dynastic model? One reason may be that a family can function effectively as a brand. If voters approve of a candidate’s father, aunt or sibling, they will likely accept the candidate – there is no need to build credibility.”
‘Dynastic politics is a serious threat to Indian democracy’
Tharoor stressed that dynastic politics is a serious threat to Indian democracy. He said, “When political power is determined by dynasty rather than ability, commitment or connection at the grassroots level, the quality of governance suffers.”
Praising Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s article, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said, “Shashi Tharoor has pointed out how Indian politics has become a family business. He has pointed out how the Gandhi-Vadra dynasty, the first family of the Congress party, is responsible for reinforcing the negative idea that political position and power can be a matter of birthright. Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi may take his article very personally.”