New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram [India], November 3 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s article criticising dynastic politics has stirred reactions across political circles, drawing support from the BJP and mixed responses from within his own party.
In an essay titled “Indian Politics Are a Family Business” published on the Project Syndicate portal, Tharoor described dynastic politics as a “grave threat to Indian democracy” and urged India to move toward “merit-based leadership.” He argued that political power should not be treated as a birthright, citing examples across both the opposition and the ruling alliances.
“For decades, one family has towered over Indian politics. The influence of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty—including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and current leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra—is bound up with India’s freedom struggle, but it has also cemented the idea that leadership can be inherited,” Tharoor wrote. He also highlighted dynastic trends in other parties, such as Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray in Shiv Sena (UBT), Akhilesh Yadav in the Samajwadi Party, the Abdullah family in Jammu and Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu’s MK Stalin, son of the late CM M Karunanidhi, who he said “controls” the DMK.
The BJP quickly seized on Tharoor’s remarks to target the Congress leadership. BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “Dr. Tharoor has rightly exposed how the Gandhi-Vadra dynasty turned Indian politics into a family business. His article is insightful and will surely make leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav uncomfortable. He should be applauded for speaking the truth.”
However, Congress leaders defended the party’s legacy and downplayed Tharoor’s critique. Senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan said in Thiruvananthapuram, “From Lal Bahadur Shastri to Narasimha Rao and the Nehru-Gandhi family, all were elected by the people. Their role in Indian politics is truly incomparable. Capable leaders are accepted by the people regardless of their family background.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Congress leader Rashid Alvi argued that in a democracy, voters have the ultimate say. “You cannot stop anyone from contesting elections because of their family background. This happens in every field—politics, cinema, business. The public makes the decisions in a democracy,” Alvi told ANI.
Tharoor’s article, which comes just days before the Bihar Assembly polls, has not only reignited debate over the prevalence of family-based politics but also exposed differing opinions within the Congress party itself—between calls for meritocracy and defense of political legacy.
(ANI)
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