Bloodlines & battlelines: Second-gen leaders fight for dynasty control

New Delhi: A number of family-run parties across India are facing trouble within as second generation politicians are fighting against each other for control in the dynastic enterprises, with the latest episode playing out in K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS where K Kavitha is up in arms.

Besides BRS, trouble was witnessed in parties like PMK and RJD in the recent weeks even as the intense political battle between late YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s children YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who heads YSR Congress, and YS Sharmila, who joined Congress, rages on.

In recent years, internecine wars were witnessed in Samajwadi Party, NCP, Shiv Sena and DMK and LJP, leading to splits or one of the family protagonists gaining control over others. The BSP saw Mayawati curtailing the role of her nephew Akash Anand after expelling his father-in-law Ashok Sidharth, a former party MP, for trying to gain control.

“There is diminishing returns when it comes to the second generation leaders. Most often they enter politics due to compulsion and they never face challenges. With more than one claimants for the top post, there is inevitable competition and many of them do not have the goodwill the first generation politicians have,” political analyst Rasheed Kidwai told DH.

In most of the cases, he said, male siblings are preferred for the leadership role.

Wherever parties have managed to delineate roles and give responsibility in Delhi, there has been very little trouble. DMK and erstwhile NCP till the split happened have been examples for this.

In BRS, K Kavitha has raised the rebellion with a letter to her father and party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao with an aim on her brother KT Rama Rao, who is virtually in control of the party. Kavitha has raised concerns over BRS not attacking the ruling BJP, which put her in jail in a corruption case.

The virtual sidelining in the party with her brother taking control of the organisation, which did not come out in support during her incarceration as per her expectations appeared to have prompted Kavitha to pen the now leaked letter highlighting her concerns about the party.

Another father now in the limelight is PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss, who is fighting his son Anmbumani Ramadoss. The rift appeared to have started with the senior Ramadoss’ wish to appoint his daughter’s son as the chief of the party's youth wing and it is playing out.

The 85-year-old father had accused his 56-year-old son of throwing a bottle at his mother while the latter was consolidating his grip on the party.

The RJD too found itself in trouble after Lalu Prasad expelled his elder son Tej Pratap from the party over a Facebook post in which he has spoken about a relationship he has. Lalu had favoured his younger son Tejashwi Yadav to helm the party years ago, much to the chagrin of Tej Pratap.

Parties like Akali Dal witnessed trouble over leadership questions after the deaths of party patriarchs.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, whose cousin Manpreet Badal left the party over leadership question earlier, faced rebellion from outside family in Akali Dal though he managed to regain control but he appears to be a pale shadow of his father Parkash Singh Badal owing to a string of electoral reverses.