Lok Sabha polls reveal Bengal’s political landscape witnesses rise of dynasties

Of the 42 Lok Sabha seats, 13 seats have candidates from political dynasties.

Kolkata:

Dynasty politics has always been a prominent feature of Indian democracy, but its increased influence in Bengal in this Lok Sabha election marks a major departure from the country’s tradition of developing leaders from grassroots politics.

Of the 42 Lok Sabha seats, 13 seats have candidates from political dynasties. This is a significant increase from previous elections, in which political dynasties were limited to three seats.

Bangladesh has historically been known for its vibrant student politics, but it is undergoing a remarkable transformation as influential political families come to the fore.

Maidul Islam, a political scientist at the Center for Social Science Research, told PTI: “This is a new trend or evolution in Bengali politics from class politics to dynastic politics. Never before in the polls have so many candidates come from Political family.”

In Bengal, where politics is defined by the charisma of mass leaders, party symbols and issues, “it remains to be seen how people accept these political dynasties,” he said. The TMC has fielded five candidates, the Congress four, while Two political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (M), which have denounced dynastic politics in the past, are also fielding two candidates each.

According to TMC, BJP and Congress leaders, several factors have contributed to the rise of political dynasties in Bengal.

They believe that family members are valued for their loyalty and trustworthiness, making them reliable allies.

A senior TMC leader said: “The political success of prominent families is attributed to two main factors – popularity and network, which makes it easier for them to gain electoral support.”

TMC national general secretary and two-time Diamond Harbor MP Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tops list of political dynasties in polls Be among the best. He is seeking re-election to the seat.

Soumendu Adhikari, the BJP candidate from the Kanthi Lok Sabha seat, comes from the powerful Adhikari family of East Midnapur. His father Sisir Adhikari is a three-time MP from the seat and his brother Suvendu Adhikari is the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Congress.

In Mardanam constituency, the Congress handed over representation from ailing Congress leader Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury to his son Isha Khan Choudhur (Isha Khan Choudhury). Mutual legal assistance.

CPI(M)’s South Kolkata candidate Saria Shah Halim also comes from a political dynasty, her father-in-law Hashim Abdul Halim ) is the longest-serving speaker of the West Bengal Assembly, while her husband Fuad Halim is a member of the CPI(M) state committee.

“If a doctor’s son aspires to become a doctor and a lawyer’s son aspires to become a lawyer, what is wrong with a politician’s children or relatives following similar footsteps? Problems arise only when the eligibility criteria are compromised , leading to concentration of power,” TMC leader Santanu Sen told PTI.

The TMC has fielded its sitting MP from Uluberia – Sajda Ahmed, wife of former TMC MP Sultan Ahmed; the party has again nominated Pratima Mandal, the Janagarh candidate , she is the daughter of former party MP Gobinda Chandra Naskar.

In the Bardhaman-Durgapur seat, the party has fielded former cricketer Kirti Azad, a former BJP MP from Bihar and a former Bihar Son of Chief Minister Bhagwat Jha Azad.

Bengal’s major parties have fielded veteran leader Nepal Mahato from Purulia (son of former MP Debendra Mahato) and former minister Abdul Sattar from Jajpur constituency His grandson Mortaza Hussein.

“It’s not just because of my family; I have also been a MLA here for the past 15 years, serving the people,” said Congress candidate from Raiganj Ali Imran Ramz, senior leader of the Forward Bloc Mohammad Ramzan ·Hafiz Alam Serani, son of Mohammed Ramzan Ali and nephew of the former minister of the Left Front government, said.

Shantanu Thakur, the BJP candidate from Bongaon constituency, comes from the Matua-Thakurbari family, his father Manjul Krishna Thakur (Manjul Krishna Thakur) is a former minister in the TMC cabinet and his aunt Mamata Bala Thakur is a TMC MP.

CPI(M)’s Serampore candidate Dipsita Dhar is a youth leader and the granddaughter of former three-time MP Padma Nidhi Dhar.

The BJP and CPI(M) have defended their decision to field candidates with political pedigree, saying “their candidacy has nothing to do with their families.” “Saria Shah Halim and Both Deepsita Dal are good leaders and orators. This has nothing to do with dynasty,” CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

West Bengal BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the party has been outspoken against dynastic politics, but in the case of Thakur and Sumendu Adhikari, the two People are famous leaders.

“Both are leaders in their own right and were given tickets to the party based on their ability to win,” he said.

Although political dynasties have been prevalent in Bengali politics since the pre-independence era, post-independence, especially since the late fifties, student politics is considered a breeding ground for the next generation of politicians.

CM Mamata Banerjee, former CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Left Front president Biman Bose and Congress leaders Some Mitra and Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi are all products of student politics.

Political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty said the trend towards dynastic politics will increase due to the lack of leaders emerging from campuses.

“Earlier, colleges and universities were the breeding ground for the next generation of politicians. But except Presidency College and Jadavpur University, no college and college has conducted student body elections in the last five years. So there is hardly a new batch of leaders, forcing Political parties depend on dynasties,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)