Dynasties spring up in MP, Chhattisgarh

While the rant against dynasty politics echoes repeatedly in the midst of Assembly election campaigns in five states, a close look at the candidates fielded by both the mainstream parties— the Congress and the BJP— tells loud and clear that that family politics is here to stay.

The ‘sonrise’ has been welcomed with equal fervour in both the camps and many miniscule dynasties seem to be spring up.

Wife, daughter and nephew are also not to be left behind.

Even when parties have dropped their sitting MLAs to counter the anti-incumbency factor, the next choice in many cases are their kins, mainly the sons.

In BJP’s second list of candidates for Madhya Pradesh announced on Monday figures the name of Lok Sabha member Anoop Mishra, who is nephew of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

An MP from Morena, he is now contesting from Bhitarwar Assembly segment.

In Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Gauri Shankar Shejwar and Water Resources Minister Harsh Singh were denied tickets but only to open the gateway of politics to their respective sons.

Shejwar has been replaced by his son Mudit Shejwar for Ranchi Assembly seat while Harsh Singh was replaced by his son Vikram Singh in Rampur-Baghelan Assembly constituency.

Vyapam tainted minister Luxmikant Sharma’s son Umakant got ticket from the family pocket-borough Sironj in place of his father.

Congress veteran and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh is maintaining a low profile in the election campaign for the party but his brother Laxman Singh has been given a ticket from the Chachaura seat in Guna district.

Digvijay’s son Jaivardhan Singh has been re-nominated from the family pocket-borough of Raghogarh and nephew Priyavrat Singh has been fielded from Khilchipur seat.

Former chief minister the late Arjun Singh’ son and a senior Congress leader Ajay Singh is a veteran and will fight from Churhat. Late Congress-turned BJP leader Dilip Singh Bhuriya’s daughter Nirmala Bhuriya is contesting from Petlawad, a seat in Jhabua district reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

In Gwalior East Assembly constituency, Satish Sikarwar, elder brother of MLA Satyapal Singh Sikarwar has replaced Maya Singh from the royal family.

In Chhatisgarh, which was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2000, a different story is playing in the Maoist backyard of Dantewada in Bastar region.

Slain Congress leader Mahendra Karma’s wife Devati Karma is fighting among others her son Chavindra Karma, who is contesting the election on the Samajwadi Party ticket.

In the tribal state while its first chief minister Ajit Jogi is contesting from his new party, Chhattisgarh Janata Congress from Marwahi, a seat represented by his son Amit Jogi in the last Assembly polls.

Ajit's daughter in-law Richa Jogi is contesting as a BSP candidate from a different seat.

Neither the Congress nor the BJP have so far declared candidates for Rajasthan, which goes to polls on December 7.