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'At home' on the House

Last Updated 23 May 2009, 18:02 IST

Well, nothing wrong in feeling “at home” while debating in the house of representatives, but for a “minor hitch” - they are supposed to take decisions which have major implications on every home or even the homeless in the country.

The list of elected members tells “an untold story.” Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi top the list of celebrity politicians where “succession is ensured”. 

And then opens a floodgate of elite parents and their progeny occupying the treasury and opposition benches. NCP leader Sharad Pawar and daughter Supriya Sule have entered the Lok Sabha from Maharashtra.

Dismissing the suggestion that her victory  would establish her as a political heir to her father, Supriya says she is just one of the many party workers who look up to him for guidance. Sule is already a Rajya Sabha member with “the blessings” of ‘papa’.

Besides the well-known Sonia-Rahul pair of MPs, another equally famous mother-son duo occupying the Lok Sabha benches are Varun Gandhi, a first time MP,  and his mother Maneka Gandhi.

Varun, who would be sitting in the opposition benches, is expected to match the performance of his elder cousin-brother Rahul in the treasury side. Varun is preparing to deliver a fiery debut speech inside Parliament after delivering one in his constituency.

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy  will also enter the LS hand-in-hand. Yadav clan from UP have done pairing for the second time. SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav and his only son Akhilesh Yadav would remain in close proximity in the lower house. 

The list is not exhaustive but it could continue endlessly, nevertheless. The larger clan of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has created a record of “family entry” with daughter, son and grand-nephew making it to the LS .

RLD chief Ajit Singh and his son Jayant Chaudhary have both registered victories. Given the “skills” of father Ajit Singh, he along with his son could be seen on the treasury benches. Singh, who has recently defected from the NDA, has a reputation of always being with the winning side.

Himachal Pradesh’s BJP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s son, Anurag Thakur will make his debut in the august house, while former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje’s son, Dushyant Singh, is all set to test his mettle in the LS.   

From the Congress, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi’s wife, Renu Jogi,  Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s son, Jagan Mohan Reddy, among others, would  keep the “family flame” high in the LS. And as a fallout none would dare talk about dynastic politics - a la “Parivarwad”. 

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(Published 23 May 2009, 18:02 IST)

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