Bihar polls: RJD, LJP keep tickets for family members

PATNA: Whether or not the NDA and the Janata parivar flourish, leading political families of Bihar are going for fraternal glory. Accusing each other of promoting dynastic politics, senior functionaries of both the NDA and UPA constituents have made wholesale distribution of assembly tickets to family members.

Sources told TOIthat RJD chief Lalu Prasad's sons Tej Pratap and Tejasvi Yadav are both contesting the elections, amid buzz that his daughter Misa Bharti-who lost Pataliputra Lok Sabha seat in 2014-would get a ticket from Danapur or Maner assembly seat. In fact, the arrival of both the sons in the electoral arena also queers the succession race within RJD, with the grapevine abuzz with mother Rabri Devi's favourite, Misa, being “cast aside“ for her brothers, who are expected to fight from Mahuaa and Raghopur seats.

Former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar's brother-in-law Raj Shekhar could get Jagdishpur (Bhojpur) ticket. Then, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan's brother and state LJP boss Pashupati Kumar Paras will contest from Alauli (Khagaria), while another brother and Samastipur MP Ram Chandra Paswan's son Prince Raj will fight from Kalyanpur.The ticket from Sonbarsa (Saharsa) has gone to Sarita Paswan, a relative.

Times View

A few decades ago, the charge of dynastic politics was thrown at one party and one family. Today, there is hardly a party in which the phenomenon of leaders' children also becoming leaders is not well established. The degree to which this happens may differ from party to party and state to state, but dynastic politics is no longer the monopoly of one party. This is a sad reflection on how shallow Indian democracy remains. We are by no means suggesting that children of politicians should be barred from politics, but when they enter at the top because their parent controls the party, it is not a healthy sign for democracy.