Political Nepotism is based on favoritism granted to relatives in specified fields or positions in varipus political activities. Presently, this is dominated in Telangana state beyond control.
Indian politics has seen the greater part of nepotism in its history, regardless of our being a democratic nation. Directly from Motilal Nehru to Rahul Gandhi (Congress Party), India has been ruled by a dynasty, which is as yet attempting to sustain its standard. But aside from this party, that, of course, is on the top when it comes to nepotism in Indian politics, there are various other parties, mainly regional, like the Samajwadi Party (governed and formed by Mulayam Yadav and later taken over by his son Akhilesh Yadav) which have been working on the principles of nepotism. In Maharashtra, the Thackeray’s have maintained their domination from Balasaheb to Uddhav Thackeray. In Kashmir, the Abdulla’s and the Muftis’ have been in power for a considerable length of time. These are not many yet significant instances of nepotism being followed in India.
Different components contribute towards such political nepotism, particularly in a nation like India, the first being its residents. Some may unequivocally concur, while the others may not, however, the individuals of India are accustomed to being commanded. They are utilized to progressive guidelines in the times past, to the majesty in these cutting edge times. It is a direct result of the idea, raised by the ‘Varna System’, which expresses that line the child of a cleric becomes. This despite everything wins because the greater part of the Indian populace is as yet ignorant and hence, this turns into the best and the most straightforward approach to pick their agents.
Democracy is by the people, for the people, and of the people. The nation’s basic statute sowed the seeds of equality in the hearts of its multitude by heralding this powerful message seven decades ago! Sadly today people are mute spectators to the bizarre happenings!
What is real democracy? It is democracy that remains untainted by nepotism, influence of one family over the electorate, and which delivers the real needs of people while acting according to the aspirations of the electors.
Today collective responsibility has taken a back seat with the influence of select families that are enjoying proximity with leadership. The spirit of democracy is facing many tests and is getting diluted. If one looks at political parties and their styles of functioning in the process of selecting their its candidates for elections, he/she can easily notice the tremendous influence of families of ‘established’ political leaders who end up as the deciding factors. Members of legislatures across the country are unabashedly trying to promote their children as their political heirs.
Most of them are getting a nod from the leadership of their respective parties. The leadership often thinks that the interests of their respective political organisation lie in encouraging the kith and kin of legislators in the electoral battle.There is a peculiar political landscape in Telugu states when it comes to legislators who push their children to occupy their seats in the years to come.
They take calculated steps to convince the party leadership for this purpose as well as the electorate. A group of confidential persons specially selected by the legislator would project the son or daughter of the legislator as ‘future leader’, irrespective of the sentiments of people. If some other worthy candidate is found in the public domain as having the potential to become a future leader, he or she will be simply discouraged and isolated in the party at the behest of the legislator. No legislator would provide room for others in the party, irrespective of his capabilities, thinking that he or his family will remain rulers of that particular constituency forever and everybody else in the party must work towards that end.
Lack of strong organisational set-up is believed to be the root cause for this menace in democracy. Regional political parties in particular are considered to be the culprits for introducing this unwanted element in democracy. National political parties are better to some extent in this regard as they, in principle, are against the ‘family rule’ in certain constituencies. Organisational meetings conducted periodically will play a crucial role in designing the future course of action for any political party.
Those meetings will prompt the leadership to have a look at the prevailing ground level situation. Veteran Congress leader of yesteryear who had a mass base in Rajasthan, Rajesh Pilot, exhorted his party to ensure District Congress Committee met periodically so that they would know what is there in the mind of a party worker at the ground level. Communist parties are different from other political organizations; for, left forces maintain rapport with ground level workers. The leadership will act accordingly in the process of selection of candidates. Such proposals should be placed for discussion in the lower level committees of Left parties and the leadership will get to know the real mood of the cadre regarding selection of candidates who are to be made public representatives with the ‘approval’ of people. The electorate will have an idea of the candidates in the fray as those having the backing of the organization. With its organisational strength and its vital role in deciding suitable candidates for the Assembly, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the head of the Left Front in West Bengal had rejected tickets to 64 sitting legislators in the 2006 elections.
No other political party in the country had taken such a daring step in the selection process then. The BJP, being a national political party, has been cautious in keeping ‘family rule’ at bay at all levels. Defectors hardly get tickets in BJP and Left parties. Whereas in Congress and other political parties, where family rule is deemed essential for survival of party, some of the families are considered to be the ‘face’ of the party in particular constituencies.
In regional political outfits, there seems to be no one to question family rule. TDP, TRS and YSRCP are regional outfits that are encouraging family rule. Another viewpoint of such ruling parties is that children of legislators should not be deprived of their chance to contest polls just because of their blood relation with those in power. Telangana IT Minister K. T. Rama Rao has stressed this point several times, defending his own and his sister Kavitha’s claims of getting “opportunities to contest”.
Their father and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) also defended his act of providing opportunities to them to contest the elections. Speaker of Telangana Assembly Pocharam (Parigi) Sreenivasa Reddy is believed to have sought ‘needful assurance’ from KCR for the political future of his son in the days to come.
During the initial years of TDP, it had done experiments in selecting candidates by inviting applications from aspirants and conducting interviews to measure the ‘in-built’ qualities of leadership. Those things were sensational in those days. Real value of an application form from a viable ticket seeker is almost gone. The candidature of the son of an MLA will be decided without seeking an application for contesting. During the Congress regime, local bodies’ representatives became MLAs by virtue of their capabilities. Javvadi Ratnakar Rao (Buggaram) is one fine example.
He was president of the erstwhile Panchayat Samiti in 1981 and later became MLA. Finally, he was member in Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s cabinet. Then Ministers Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao and Konda Surekha were mandal parishad presidents in 1987 and later entered the Assembly with the blessings of YSR. This shows the importance of public life at the ground level. The experience gained at such positions enables them to shine further in public life at a later stage.
This practice of providing opportunities to local bodies’ representatives to contest in an Assembly seat has almost gone. ‘Direct recruitment’ has come to fore at the behest of MLAs. This unhealthy practice is literally depriving many genuine aspirants of their chances. They remain silent due to their inability to raise their voice against MLAs. Nowadays there is no resentment at the constituency level if an MLA announces his son as his successor.
Unfortunately leadership of principal political parties is encouraging this trend for smooth continuance of party at the ground level. Telangana Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar (Khammam) is son of former floor leader in the undivided AP Assembly Puvvada Nageswar Rao.
Had Ajay continued in his father’s party, he would not have become even an MLA. He could reach this position probably because he kept shifting his loyalties to other parties and finally settled in TRS. Such developments cast their shadow on the real spirit of democracy.
MLAs of various political parties should nurture second rung leadership to succeed them in future without having a thought about forcibly making their children as their eventual successors. #KhabarLive #hydnews
