Politicians’ next-generation set for debut in electoral politics

Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 18

The Uttarakhand Assembly elections 2017 will witness family members, especially children of several veteran politicians making their electoral debut in the state.

The past electoral verdicts have proved that dynastic politics has never been successful in the state. Voters have repeatedly rejected former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna’s son Saket Bahuguna and Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s wife Renuka Rawat.

Rawat tried twice to ensure his wife’s entry to the Lok Sabha, but failed in both his attempts.

In 2004, when the Almora Pithoragarh Lok Sabha constituency was a general seat, Rawat, who was then an influential Congressman, got a ticket for his wife, but despite his efforts, he could not help his wife win the elections. In 2014, Rawat made his wife contest from the Haridwar parliamentary seat, but she lost to BJP’s Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

This even stands true for other politicians as well. Former Chief Minister and now BJP leader Vijay Bahuguna tried to introduce his son Saket Bahuguna into politics by making him contest from the Tehri parliamentary constituency. Bahuguna himself was representing the Tehri Lok Sabha seat when he was appointed the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, but despite his efforts, Saket lost by over 22,000 votes. He even brought then BJP’s strongman from Rudraprayag region, Matbar Singh Kandari, into the Congress fold, but the latter could not ensure his son’s victory.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Saket Bahuguna again got the Congress ticket from Tehri due to efforts of Vijay Bahuguna, but again failed miserably. Saket lost to BJP Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah by a margin of 1,92,503 votes.

The 2017 Assembly elections are again heading towards keen contests involving sons and daughters of veteran politicians of the BJP and the Congress.

The latest entrant is veteran politician ND Tiwari, who along with his son Rohit Shekhar, joined the BJP today. Rohit is being given the BJP ticket as part of ND Tiwari’s pre-induction condition. Also, Tiwari’s nephew Manish Tiwari, who was given the Congress ticket from Gadarpur in the 2012 Assembly poll, lost miserably.

The Uttarakhand Congress is yet to release its list of candidates and despite clamour of one family one ticket gaining ground within the party cadre, there is no doubt that a few senior Congress leaders could get their sons and daughters in fray. Sumit Hridayesh, son of Finance Minister Hridayesh has made his political ambitions loud and clear.

“The 2017 Assembly elections will be keenly watched as BC Khanduri’s daughter, Yashpal Arya’s son and Vijay Bahuguna’s son are making their electoral debut. The entry of few more sons and daughters is on the cards. The verdict will decide as to whether dynastic politics will succeed or fail in Uttarakhand,” says Richpal Singh Bisht, a veteran political commentator.