We are talking extensively talking about next generation Politics. But look at these statistics. Between the age group of 25 and 29 - we have only 26 MPs in Parliament this year.
Why the age bar - 25 is important; that is the minimum age in India when one can be elected to the legislature - either state assembly or Parliament. The Article 84 of Indian Constitution defines qualifications for MPs, including citizenship, age limits for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and other prescribed criteria.
To qualify as a member of the Rajya Sabha, a person must:
Be at least 30 years of age
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| Achievers of their time: Kapil Dev, Lata ji, Mohinder Amarnath, Rajiv Gandhi, Sunil Gavaskar |
Now among 26 MPs in Parliament between the age group of 25 and 29 -- there are 13 political dynasts coming from political families. In other words, in these cases, the credit for their parliamentary debut goes to their 'birth' more than their own hardwork and any other qualification.
In Lok Sabha, the Gen Z has only six members. In fact, here as many as five are 'well connected' ones - that is 'dynasts'.
Across India, data shows there are 20 state assembly MLAs in the Gen Z category. Out of these 8 are from political families.
Take another figure == below the age group of 40 there are altogether -- 384 elected representatives (that is MPs and MLAs) and out of them - 145 are dynasts.
Those born in 1986 or after - make about 65 per cent of Indian poulation and that way 'representations' in assembly and both houses of Parliament is fairly less.
The BJP has 9 MPs below 40 years. Five are dynasts.
Samajwadi Party of Akhilesy Yadav - has total 37 MPs in Lok Sabha. Of these as many as 7 fall under below age bar of 40. Interestingly, but not surprisingly - six of them are dynasts (coming from political families).
Across India - there are altogether 52 MLAs coming under 40 years of age. Total number of state legislators in India - now - stands at 662.
Of these as many as 23 are from political families.
As a background note, we may consider this :
India’s political landscape has been shaped by numerous dynasties that have wielded significant influence over centuries.
These families and ruling lines have governed vast territories, implemented administrative reforms, fostered cultural advancements, and left lasting legacies.
In Punjab, the Badal family has dominated politics for decades with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) founder and four-time chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal, leading the way.
His son Sukhbir Singh Badal is now the president of the party and had served as the deputy CM of the state between 2009 and 2017. Sukhbir has also been a Lok Sabha MP and was a union minister for a brief while in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government that had a mere 13-month stint in 1998.
Former Congress chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh also had his wife Preenet Kaur as a three-time Lok Sabha MP and she also served in the Manmohan Singh cabinet.
Sukhbir’s wife Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal has served as a minister in the Modi government.
– The Chautalas, Hoodas, Jindals and Bishnois are dynasts of Haryana. Devi Lal was once asked - why did you make your son Om Prakash Chautala as the chief minister. His response was more than mere tongue and cheek - "Toh kya Bhajan Lal ke chhore ko banata (Then, did you expect me to make Congress leader Bhajan Lal's son the new chief minister).
Chautala becoming chief minister coincided with 'mayhem' in Meham constituency during his election.
Former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot, is the son of the late Rajesh Pilot — a senior Congress leader and a powerful Gurjar leader. Sachin’s mother, Rama Pilot, has been an MLA from Hindoli and an MP from Dausa.
The Scindias, originally of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, have a political lineage that not only cuts across the party divide but also state lines.
Matriarch Vijaya Raje Scindia was a prominent Jana Sangh and BJP leader.
Her daughters Yashodhara and Vasundhara Raje have followed in her footsteps to emerge as key BJP leaders.
Vasundhara Raje has been a two-time Rajasthan chief minister while her son Dushyant is a BJP MP.
Vijaya Raje’s son, Madhavrao, and grandson Jyotiraditya have tread a different path. The father and son have been senior Congress leaders as well as cabinet ministers in the central government.
Madhavrao Scindia died in a plane crash in 2001. Jyotiraditya Scindia joined BJP in 2021 and has also joined the Modi cabinet.
In East, former President, veteran Congress leader and former union minister Pranab Mukherjee passed on his Jangipur Lok Sabha seat to his son Abhijit for sometime.
Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmishtha too joined the Congress and unsuccessfully contested the 2015 Delhi assembly election from the Greater Kailash constituency.
In neighbouring Odisha, BJD leader and Lok Sabha MP Tathagata Satpathy‘s parents have been politicians. While his mother Nandini served as the chief minister of the state, his father Devendra was a Lok Sabha MP.
Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik is son of illustrious Biju Patnaik.
Lalu Yadav's family is well known from Bihar. When Lalu was to go to jail and had to resign. his wife Rabri Devi became chief minister. Their children are also in active politics.
The list is pretty long.
ends
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