It reflects poorly on the state of democracy in our country that with the exception of the populist Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the two cadre-based parties at the two ends of the political spectrum – the Communist parties and the RSS backed BJP – all the other parties prefer princelings to dedicated and committed workers. Whether it is the Trinamool Congress or the Shiv Sena or the Akali Dal or the RJD or the Samajwadi party or the DMK or the TRS (now BRS), this problem afflicts every party. The larger question is: if there is no inner party democracy in our political parties, how can we expect the polity at large to function in a democratic spirit. This is a question which the Congress has skirted, for even when Kharge has been ‘elected’ as the President of the Congress, the fact is that the real power continues to be held by the Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
What is the real strength of these political families. Obviously, ideology has nothing to do with it. perhaps they hold the levers to the funds which are required to run the party machinery as well as the elections which have become a high-stake game. Linked to this is the question: why do certain families want to perpetuate themselves for all times in politics? Is it love for the country or love of lucre? There are no prizes for guessing, but one does hope that in the Amrit Kaal of India’s independence, we ask all these hard questions.