Congress’ ‘second generation’ leaders are all from dynasties

Press conference organised to showcase the ‘second generation’ leaders fails to break impression that the Congress promotes dynastic politics.

Scindia, son of Madhavrao Scindia. Madhavrao Scindia held key positions in the party and in the Rajiv Gandhi and Narasimha Rao governments, before his death in 2001.

Also present on stage was former minister R.P.N. Singh, whose father C.P.N. Singh was Minister of State for Defence in the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government in 1980. Rajasthan Congress head Sachin Pilot was also present on stage. Sachin Pilot is the son of Rajesh Pilot, who was inducted into politics by Rajiv Gandhi and played a leading role in the party and successive Congress governments before he was killed in a car accident in 2000.

Randeep Surjewala, head of the Congress’ communications department, too was present on stage. A Legisla- tive member from Haryana, Surjewala is the son of Shamsher Singh Surjewala, an important political figure of the Congress. His father was a five-time legislator in the Haryana Assembly and he also held several ministerial positions in the state. Shamsher Singh Surjewala was also made a Rajya Sabha member.

Lok Sabha member Sushmita Dev, daughter of veteran Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev, was also seated in the press briefing. Dev belongs to a prominent political family from Silchar in Assam, and her father was a seven-time MP.

These are only a few names, as the Congress party has a long list of leaders coming from political families.

Talking to The Sunday Guardian, senior Congress leader and spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh, said: “These leaders are democratically elected and not appointed by their families; therefore, the allegation of the Congress following dynastic politics is baseless.” “People like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot are dynamic and young and the people of this country have voted for them. Therefore, I don’t think there is anything wrong in that,” Singh said.

Though it is an acknowledged fact that almost all political parties—from the Samajwadi Party and the Shiv Sena to the Shiromani Akali Dal, the National Conference and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam— across the country are dominated by dynasties, the Congress is regarded as the party that set this trend. The Scorpenes submarines are being built by Mazagaon Dockyard Limited under Project 75 with transfer of technology from the collaborator, DCNS of France. Two of the submarines are ready, and rest four are under construction. Kalvari is undergoing sea trials and expected to be commissioned in mid-2017. The second submarine Khanderi was launched this year. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is all set to get a new chairman, with individual presentations by six shortlisted candidates still underway. The selection of the UGC chairman has assumed significance as the new head will lead the UGC’s restructuring. “The final rounds of presentations by six shortlisted candidates for the post of UGC chairman, which started on 17 May this year, are likely to be over by the end of this month, after which the appointment will be done,” a source said.

After completion of the individual presentation rounds, a three-member search-cum-selection committee (SCSC) headed by the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru, H.R. Nagendra, will select three candidates out of the total shortlisted aspirants and the names will to be forwarded to the Ministry of Human Resource Development for its final approval. The MHRD has the discretion to choose any one among the three finalists for the UGC chairman’s post.

According to sources, the six shortlisted names for the UGC head include All India Council for Technical Education chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe, National Assessment and Accreditation Council chief D.P. Singh, Banaras Hindu University Vice-Chancellor G.C. Tripathi, Delhi Technological University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, Rayalaseema University head Y. Narasimhulu and B.R. Ambedkar University of Social Sciences (Madhya Pradesh) Vice-Chancellor R.S. Kureel. The MHRD had constituted a three-member SCSC to search for a new UGC chairman after Ved Prakash completed his term on 3 April 2017.

The post of UGC vice-chairman is also vacant, and the commission is in the process of filling the vacancy. The MHRD has already constituted a separate search and selection committee for the appointment of the vice-chairman. However, the UGC chairman will be appointed first and appointment of the UGC vice-chairman will follow, sources confirmed.