At a recent book launch event in Bengaluru, former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha posed a poignant question: “If political leaders worry only about their own children, who will take care of the children of other people, who also work for the party?” The answer, it appears, is no one.

Across the political spectrum, senior politicians are engrossed in securing their children’s futures, treating political leadership as a family franchise. While nepotism is a global phenomenon, it runs particularly deep in India.

The prevalence of political dynasties in Mysuru district and its surroundings is staggering. From Gundlupet to Kodagu, the landscape is dotted with ‘nepo-babies’.

Consider Gundlupet, where former MLA late H.S. Mahadeva Prasad’s son, H.M. Ganesh Prasad, holds the MLA seat. In Hunsur, MLA G.T. Devegowda’s son, G.D. Harish Gowda. The Narasimharaja Constituency sees Tanveer Sait, son of former Minister late Azeez Sait, as its MLA. In Nanjangud, former MP late R. Dhruvanarayan’s son Darshan Dhruvanarayan is the MLA.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son and former Varuna MLA Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah is an MLC now. In Chamarajanagar, Social Welfare Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa’s son, Sunil Bose, occupies the Parliament seat. Kodagu’s Virajpet is represented by A.S. Ponnanna, son of late Congress leader and ex-MLC A.K. Subbaiah. In Madikeri, Sakleshpur MLA A. Manju’s son Dr. Manthar Gowda is the MLA.

The scenario worsens in the Mysuru City Corporation, where some Wards have become hereditary fiefdoms. Unfortunately, many of these political heirs do not join politics to serve the people but for self-serving reasons.

These ‘nepo-Netas’ have witnessed their fathers allegedly amass wealth with impunity, leveraging cash and caste to secure re-election, and engaging in ‘adjustment’ politics that ensures mutual safety and continued dominance. Consequently, politics becomes a ‘safe’ business.

However, this obsession with family legacy often jeopardises political careers. Fathers, in their quest to establish their children, sometimes tarnish their legacies. The case of Siddaramaiah, H.D. Deve Gowda and B.S. Yediyurappa is illustrative.

Once viewed as a leader who wouldn’t involve his family in politics, Siddaramaiah is now grooming his grandson Dhawan (son of late Rakesh Siddaramaiah) for political life. His first son, Rakesh Siddaramaiah, was expected to carry the family’s political torch until his untimely death.

Dr. Yatindra Siddaramaiah, who with his mellow face and demeanour seemed well suited for the aisles of a hospital, jumped into politics. Since then, Siddaramaiah has always been in some form of mental ‘unrest’.

In 2018, Siddaramaiah vacated his home Constituency of Varuna for Chamundeshwari, a Constituency he had lost twice, seemingly for the love of his son, Dr. Yathindra. The result was a significant defeat for a sitting CM.

Now, Dr. Yatindra, as an MLA, who was on the MUDA Board, failed to reject a contentious land deal favouring his mother B.M. Parvathi, exposing Siddaramaiah to corruption accusations, a padayatra by the Opposition, and a show-cause notice from the Governor.

For the love of his child, Siddaramaiah compromised his ‘non-corrupt’ legacy.

Similarly, H.D. Deve Gowda built the JD(S) from the ground up, and his sons took it to confusing heights. They left people confused about their ideology — one day they would be with BJP and another day with Congress.

Then of course the grandsons got involved in the business and they ‘erected’ a new business ‘vertical’  — sex scandals. Again…

For the love of children and grandchildren, H.D. Deve Gowda ruined an otherwise good legacy.

Then we have B.S. Yediyurappa the man who built the BJP from the ground up in Karnataka. As the party grew, his sons joined the business. Then one of them got entangled with the mining lobby which led to Yediyurappa being sent to jail. Again…

For the love of children, he ruined a legacy of being a decisive and powerful leader.

The most intriguing aspect of this familial political enterprise is its reliance on community support.

Siddaramaiah’s political relevance stems from the Kurubas and Other Backward Classes, Yediyurappa’s from the Lingayats and the JD(S) from the Vokkaligas. Yet, have these communities ever questioned what have these three families done for their respective communities? Not for the rich in their community, but for the poor in their community?

How many scholarships for poor students have they instituted? How many poor members in their community have been uplifted? Also, why can’t they ask for a survey about this instead of harping about ‘caste census’ which only helps them know their vote bank and design their future political strategy?

Most importantly one needs to ask — have they fostered new grassroots leaders from within their community? The answer is unequivocally, none.

Senior leaders have often sacrificed the careers of promising young leaders within their communities to secure their children’s future. In doing so, they have stifled the emergence of true grassroots voices, ultimately harming the very communities they purport to represent.

For the love of their children, they have killed the future leadership of their communities which means new ideas will not come forth, progress and prosperity in the community will come at the mercy of these few families, and we will no longer be a democracy.

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