Dynastic politics rears head across party lines in Maharashtra
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has a political legacy as his father Gangadharao had served as the MLC from Nagpur.
Mumbai: Maharashtra politicians are keeping it all in the family as all parties have resorted to dynastic politics while fielding candidates for the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha polls in the state. Even the BJP and Shiv Sena, which frequently slam the Congress over this issue, have not shied away from giving tickets to nominees with whose families have ties to politics.
Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, has broken the long tradition of the Thackeray family not to contest elections. He is contesting from the party stronghold of Worli constituency in Central Mumbai.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has a political legacy as his father Gangadharao had served as the MLC from Nagpur. His aunt Shob-hatai Fadnavis was also a Cabinet minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government during the late nineties.
In instances of both father and son being in the fray, senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and his son Pankaj are contesting from Yeola and Nandgaon in Nashik district while Bahujan Vikas Aghadi chief Hitendra Thakur and his son Kshitij are seeking re-nomination from Virar and Nalasopara respectively.
The Congress has fielded two sons of former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh — Amit from Latur City and Dheeraj from Latur Rural. Ashok and Sambhaji, the son and grandson of former CM Shivajirao Patil Nila-ngekar, are contesting from Congress and BJP.
Congress leader Ashok Chavan, the son former CM Shankarrao Chavan, is trying his luck from the Bhokar seat in Nanded whereas Praniti Shinde, the daughter of former CM Sushilkumar Shinde, is contesting from the Solapur Central constituency. The BJP has also fielded Nitesh Rane, the son of former CM Narayan Rane, from Kankavali in Sindhudurg district. Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse, whose daughter-in-law Raksha is an MP, has got a ticket for his daughter Rohini from Muktainagar.
In Marathwada, it will be a contest between Gopinath Munde’s daughter Pankaja and cousin Dhananjay, who is a NCP candidate, from Parli. NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s cousin Ajit and grandson Rohit are contesting from Baramati and Karjat.