DYNASTIC FEUDS MAY RESHAPE POLITICS

In the tawdry arena of Indian politics, where family factions fan fraternal fury, power is the only prize worth snatching.

- PRABHU CHAWLA

N the tawdry arena of Indian politics, where family factions fan fraternal fury, power is the only prize worth snatching. Telangana's Bharat Rashtra Samithi has unleashed a sibling slugfest that could shame a reality show. K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter, K Kavitha, has lobbed a grenade at her father's legacy, accusing his "devilish" advisors of plotting a BJP merger, while her brother, K T Rama Rao, clings to the party's helm like a captain on a sinking skiff. Kavitha's Telangana Jagruthi office is less a haven of goodwill and more a bunker for her rebellion.

This isn't just a Telangana tantrum, but a symptom of a festering rot in India's regional political dynasties, where siblings, nephews and sons brawl over political capital of caste, community and regional pride. From the BRS's Telugu heartland to the NCP's Maratha bastions, the SP's Yadav strongholds, the RJD's OBC fiefdom, the BSP's Dalit dreams, the TMC's Bengali fervour, the DMK's Dravidian roots, and the PMK's Vanniyar base—these parties thrive on social and regional identities, yet their family feuds threaten to unravel them. The reward is votes, loyalty and legacy.