Patna: In the backdrop of the LJP episode, it is unfair to assume that dynasty politics is deep-rooted only in Bihar. India takes pride in being the largest democracy and once Prime minister Narendra Modi had categorically said that the political dynasty is the biggest enemy of democracy. Despite the tough stand on dynasty politics, our politicians at the national as well as regional level have not come out from the clutches of dynasty politics and practice it openly. It is the so-called dynasty politics that has created a coup in the LJP overnight.
There was a time when LJP was completely ruled by the family members itself when late Ram Vilas Paswan promoted his family members and no one else. He promoted his two younger brothers, late Ram Chandra Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras. He also promoted his son Chirag Paswan. In fact, most of the top posts in the party was once occupied by his family members.
Dynasty politics in Bihar is not new, many examples prove how dynasty politics is deep-rooted in Bihar. Lalu Prasad's family is the best example of dynasty politics in Bihar. Lalu promoted his wife Rabri Devi, two sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, daughter Misa Bharat and two brothers-in-law Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav.
Bihar has several examples of leaders promoting their wards in politics and it has not only limited to certain parties and caste. Dalit leader and late Jagjeevan Ram, once the Union Minister had also done the same and daughter Meira Kumar too become a member of Lok Sabha and also Speaker. Former Chief Minister late Jagannath Mishra promoted his son Nitish Mishra, now former minister and MLA from Jhanjharpur, similarly, former CM Bhagawat Jha Azad’s son Kriti Azad was also an MP from Darbhanga. Former minister Narendra Singh's two sons Ajay Pratap and Sumit Singh were once MLAs. At present Narendra's younger son Sumit is a minister in Nitish Kumar's cabinet. Similarly, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi has his son Santosh Kumar Suman as minister.
The discussion of dynasty politics is topical in Bihar because ever since the political drama took place in LJP last week, dynasty politics has become the talk of the town. The Nehru-Gandhi family is considered the pioneer of dynasty politics but it is not only Congress alone. Political experts opined that it would be not fair to just blame Bihar.
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Patna based political expert Dr Sanjay Kumar said, “The dynasty politics is visible pan India. You have Mulayam Singh Yadav family in Uttar Pradesh, Abdullahs and Muftis family in J&K, HD Deve Gowda's family in Karnataka, Scindia Family in Madhya Pradesh, Thackeray family in Maharashtra, Raje family in Rajasthan, Karunanidhi family in Tamil Nadu and many more. So it is the people of India who have to decide whether they want to promote the sons and daughters of politicians or new young faces. If people stop casting their vote in their favour, dynasty politics will come to an end.”
He further said, “Why only blame Chirag Paswan and Lalu family, dynasty politics is visible everywhere. It is the voters who have to make the decision. Why can't the top leaders of the party trust anyone else and not their own sons and daughters? There is a need to bring a change in the mindset of the leaders."
However, there are few exceptions in Bihar who have never promoted their son's like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi. Lalu had once justified dynasty politics claiming that if a doctor's son can become a doctor, an engineer's son can become an engineer and why cannot a politician's son become a politician. Time again Lalu and Paswan family had to face the criticism of supporting dynasty politics in Bihar but ultimately the things remain the same. It would be interesting to see how Chirag takes dynasty politics ahead after the rift inside his own family.
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