‘Beyond Dynasties’ by Sushil Manav captures the pulse of Haryana polity

When a journalist writes an account of the political churns he has witnessed in his career, there is scepticism over the objectivity of the work and curiosity about inside details of momentous events. Everyone also looks forward to a dose of gossip the author might have gleaned from his ringside view of history unfolding. Sushil Manav’s well-researched book that maps the BJP’s rise to power in Haryana and other North Indian states not only ticks all these boxes, but does so with a ground reporter’s eye for detail.

The book is mainly about Haryana and how the decades of rule by the state’s well-known political dynasties was broken by the BJP in 2014. He traces the arc from the Lal trio — Chaudhary Devi Lal, Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal — along with the Hooda clan.

They presided over fiefdoms that fostered a political culture where loyalty to family and caste often overshadowed merit, and governance was frequently used as a tool to consolidate power rather than serve the broader public interest. These pro-Jat parties gave a short shrift to non-Jat communities like Punjabis, Banias, Scheduled Castes. That is, until the BJP paved a new political order.

The book’s strength lies in the comprehensive analysis of how the BJP pulled off a dramatic victory in 2014 when it won 47 of the 90 Assembly seats, against a mere four in 2009. Manav points out that the increase was not accidental but the result of meticulous planning, electoral manoeuvres and a keen understanding of the socio-political dynamics.

The BJP consolidated its non-Jat vote base in the next election. He relies on first-hand interactions with candidates and officials to deduce that Jats in Haryana no longer corner a major share of government jobs and contracts, most of which are given through a transparent recruiting system.

He goes on to suggest that the BJP’s success in breaking dynastic strongholds offers a model for other regions.

Proximity to politicians gives journalists an insight into their personal lives, their foibles and weaknesses. In 2005, when Hooda trumped Bhajan Lal to the CM’s position, Manav found himself at Chandigarh’s Picaddily hotel just before Hooda was to take oath. Laid out on the bed of the hotel room was a white kurta-pyjama, a churidar-kurta and an achkan placed there by senior Congressman Venod Sharma, owner of the hotel. “Do I ever wear an achkan?” Hooda remarked, while asking Yoginder Gupta, a senior journalist, to light a cigarette for him. Manav recalls: “At that time, Hooda was a near chain smoker though he would quit the habit after becoming CM. After taking a few puffs, he handed the cigarette to Gupta, who brought it to his lips with a grin. ‘Dekhen chief minister ka nasha kitna hota hai,’ quipped Gupta.”

That moment was marked by a steady stream of Bhajan Lal loyalists seeking Hooda’s blessings.

— The reviewer is a senior journalist