The upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand reveal a notable trend: political families dominate the list of candidates. “This isn’t new,” political commentator Amitabh Tewari observes, adding, “Politics has become corporatized, with a few families wielding control. They understand the system and have substantial financial resources. Why involve outsiders if it doesn’t benefit them?” he asks.
In Jharkhand, the BJP, despite its frequent criticism of political dynasties, has granted tickets to relatives of prominent leaders, including three former chief ministers. Among the candidates are Meera Munda, wife of former BJP chief minister Arjun Munda; Babulal Soren, son of ex-CM Champai Soren; and Purnima Das, daughter-in-law of former BJP CM Raghubar Das. Additionally, Shatrughan Mahto, brother of BJP MP Dullu Mahto, and Ragini Singh, wife of former MLA Sanjeev Singh, are also running.
Further expanding on this trend, the BJP has welcomed several politicians who switched parties or previously lost in the Lok Sabha elections. Notably, Sita Soren, daughter-in-law of Shibhu Soren, has been nominated to contest from Jamtara, known as the “fishing capital of the country.” In another instance, Geeta Koda, wife of ex-CM Madhu Koda, has received the BJP ticket for Jagannathpur.
This level of nepotism has stirred some dissatisfaction within party ranks. Sandeep Verma, a member of the BJP’s state working committee, voiced his discontent, questioning, “Why should Champai Soren and his son both receive BJP tickets?” His concerns led Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, serving as the party’s observer, to address the issue. “There are no splits within the party,” Sarma asserted, adding, “some resentment is natural.”
The Congress and JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) are also involved in similar practices. Leading this trend in the JMM is Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is contesting from Barhait while his wife, Kalpana Soren, runs from Gandey, and his brother Basant from Dumka. The party has fielded other family members as well, including Baby Devi, wife of ex-minister Jagannath Mahto, in Dumri, and Hafizul Hasan, son of late minister Haji Hussan Ansari, in Madhupur. Congress MLA Deepika Pandey Singh is recontesting from Mahagama, a seat once held by her father-in-law, former Bihar minister Awadh Bihari Singh. Similarly, Amba Prasad, daughter of former Congress MLA Yogendra Sahu, is running in Barkagaon.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra exemplifies this trend on an even larger scale. As the initial candidate lists for its 288-seat assembly reveal, the elections resemble a family affair. The BJP, for instance, has fielded Sreejaya Chavan, daughter of former Congress CM Ashok Chavan, from Bhokar in Nanded district. Vinod Shelar, brother of Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, is contesting from Malad West, while Ashish himself is re-running from Bandra West.
The Maharashtra assembly candidate list reflects the influence of roughly 100 political families. The BJP has nominated Sulabha Gaikwad, wife of jailed MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, from Kalyan East. The party also replaced Ashwini Jagtap with her brother-in-law Shankar Jagtap in Pune’s Chinchwad constituency. The Shinde-led Sena nominated Kiran Samant, brother of state minister Uday Samant, for Rajapur, and family members of Shiv Sena MPs Sandipan Bhumare and Ravindra Waikar are also in the running. Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray, seeks re-election in Worli, while his cousin Varun Sardesai runs in Bandra East.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has nominated Sunil Raut, brother of Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, in Vikhroli. Additionally, the NCP (SP) has announced that Rohit Patil, son of former home minister R R Patil, will contest from Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal in Sangli, and Rohit Pawar, grandnephew of Sharad Pawar, will likely seek re-election in Ahilyanagari. In a surprising move, Raj Thackeray, MNS chief, has entered his son Amit for the Mahim seat.
Commenting on the trend, Tewari notes, “Switching parties has become normalized because it suits everyone. If one family member loses, another can win from a different party. Changing sides is practically accepted now.”