Has politics really become the fiefdom of some established politicians whose sole aim is to promote their family members?

By SENIOR JOURNALIST GYAN BHADRA N SUNIL NEGI

Unarguably, the present political scenario in the country smacks of dynastic politics. There are scores of examples that bear testimony to it. Almost all political parties in the country—-congress, BJP, SP, BSP etc—-are riddled with quagmire of political situation in which men at the helm of parties, of course in fag end of their life and political careers, handing the reins of parties to their sons, daughters and even daughters-in-laws.

While doing so, they are quite unmindful of the sacrifices done by party workers, devoid of their Godfathers.

Descendants of Mulayam, Scindia, Lalu, Pilot etc are unjustifiably sitting pretty on the regional and national political firmament.

The list is endless.

The cardinal principle is ” survival of the fittest “. Grassroot leaders, loyal and dedicated party workers who nurture the parties with their blood and sweat are left in lurch at the time of tickets distribution by those who have their own axes to grind in bringing forth the names of their sons and daughters for candidature at the hustings.

Uttarakhand too has not remained unaffected by the rippling effects of dynastic waves. For instance, former cabinet minister Yashpal Arya and his son, notwithstanding their acts of defection, grabbed tickets for Bajpur and Nainital constituencies from congress.Harish Rawat too is not lagging behind in following the dynasty suit.

His daughter, already donning the robes of national general secretary of Mahila Congress, is reportedly claimant of party ticket.

Sumit Hridayesh, after his mother’s demise, claimed citadel of her political legacy by securing ticket from Haldwani.

In BJP, Mahesh Jeena, beneficiary of sympathy wave emanating from his brother Surendra Jeena’s demise, bagged ticket from Salt legislative constituency. From BJP, Ritu Khanduri, one-time MLA from Yamkeshwar and daughter of redoubtable Major General (rtd.) B. C. Khanduri was also in the rat race for ticket, but remained empty- handed this time.

The son of former Uttarakhand CM Manish Khanduri joined Congress in 2019 and bagged the parliamentary ticket from Pauri Garhwal to lose to Tirath Singh Rawat of BJP.

Nav Prabhat, son of Braham Dutt former union minister of petroleum in UPA government, is riding roughshod over other contenders, despite being two-term MLA from Vikas Nagar Dehradun.

Devyani, wife of Kunwar Pranav ex-MLA, was bestowed upon ticket from Khanpur in Uttarakhand.

If all this is politically distressing, much more so is the histrionics played by none other than Dr Harak Rawat former cabinet minister in seeking his entry into parent party congress ; shedding crocodile tears and offering apologies for shifting his loyalty to BJP in 2016 et al, after being expelled from BJP.

In his political career spanning almost four decades, Dr Harak Rawat seemingly groomed himself for turncoat – politics and unleashed for himself a chain of defection from different parties five times, starting from Congress to BJP to BSP to congress to BJP to now parent party Congress.

He also donned the mantle of minister in the governments of undivided UP. Now Dr Rawat alongwith his daughter-in-law Anukriti Gusain made in-roads into Congress and are desperately seeking tickets from Chowbattakhal and Lansdowne.

An apolitical face and new entrant into Congress, Anukriti’s only claim to fame is her being model and former Miss India.

However, what is really indiscernible for any right thinking politician such as grassroot leader Jyoti Rautela is the way party had flummoxed her by giving ticket to a political novice, Anukriti Gusain from Lansdowne.

For placating Jyoti Rautela, the party mandarins are reportedly claiming to offer her offices of profit, post election reveal sources.

Late Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, who led by examples and practised politics in keeping up with welfare of people at large n a true secularist leader , must be turning in his grave to see his son Vijay Bahuguna and daughter Rita Bahuguna plunging themselves into politics of opportunism.

Donning the mantle of CM in 2014, Vijay Bahuguna later defected to BJP in 2016, when he saw icing available on BJP’s cake. Not only this, but also he managed to get ticket for his son Saurabh Bahuguna from Sitarganj successively for second time.

Rita Bahuguna, brother of Vijay Bahuguna, too joined BJP and now threatened to resign as MP ostensibly with a view to get his son ticket from Lucknow.

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What is the sad part of this whole story is that the sincere and dedicated political workers are pushed to back bench, behind curtains, to oblige the sons, daughters or daughter in laws of the influential politicians.

This is exactly happening in the case of a Lansdowne seat where among other claimants, a national secretary including a dedicated Congress activist with no political God father Jyoti Rautela, whose ticket is said to be almost final earlier, had to unwillingly back out to oblige the former cabinet minister and heavy weight Dr. Harak Singh Rawat alloting the seat to his daughter in law.

Sounds shocking said Jyoti Rautela, though reluctantly.

Brought in politics by Dr. Harak Singh Rawat while he was MLA from Lansdowne earlier before 2010, Jyoti Rautela who is a renowned social activist of Lansdowne running an impressive old age home for the senior citizens near Jeharikhal, had unsuccessfully contested from Lansdowne against BJP’s Dalip Rawat, the present MLA n lost.

The former cabinet minister Lt General TPS Rawat too had lost from here when he had contested on Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha ticket.

In 2017 when Dr. Rawat joined BJP from Congress, Jyoti Rautela against lost to Dalip Rawat of BJP by 7000 votes.

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However, secretary of national Mahila Congress was assured of the ticket this time but all of a sudden Dr. Harak Singh Rawat’s daughter in law was air dropped after Dr Rawat put up the pre condition on joining Congress after being expelled from BJP.

It has been revealed that she ( Jyoti Rautela) was called by the Uttarakhand Incharge Devendra Yadav and other leaders and thanked for her sacrifice thus consoling her and assuring of future political promotions etc .

There are also unconfirmed reports of obliging her by elevating to the state ministerial rank.

Highly depressed and demoralised, a dedicated Congress worker n Mahila Congress leader Jyoti Rautela had no option but to agree to his consolation n give up her claim for Lansdowne ticket.

She however, said that she will continue to work hard in the party n ensure the victory of the Lansdown Congress candidate in the ensuing election.

One can imagine, how would a dedicated worker feel if his or her chances to bag ticket after sincere efforts for years are all of a sudden snatched or dashed just to oblige a defector in the party who had already tasted power in a rival party for five years and joining it after he is unceremoniously expelled in broad daylight for betraying the party n government he was in, after back stabbing the party in 2016 obliging him now for his bad deeds.

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Among the total 12 aspirants from Lansdowne seat, the name of vice president of Uttarakhand Congress Dhirendra Pratap was also prominent who had opposed the entry of Dr. Rawat in Congress.

In addition Congress leader Raghubir Singh Bisht and district president Deepak Bhandari too are aspirants from Lansdowne having pledged to oppose the para dropping of Anukriti Gusain as Lansdowne Congress candidate.

Is this the level where the politics has stooped to, these days and if it is so as an analyst I am of the firm opinion that honest, dedicated, sincere and pro people workers n socio political leaders would gradually give up joining political parties as it has unambiguously become the fiefdom of the opportunists, rich, musle wielding and influential politicians believing in promoting their family members n the near n dear ones at the cost of the genuine, dedicated, sincere workers. What’s your take friends?