Ahead of polls, families vie to retain control of strongholds

Several candidates across party lines contesting the all-important Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections, scheduled on December 4 this year, belong to political families. Candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress are fighting to either stay in control or regain control of political strongholds. Their families, meanwhile, are tirelessly campaigning for them.

All parties maintain that dynasty politics had nothing to with candidate selection, and that they were chosen based on their “winnability” and work ethic.

Kesh Rani Khatri, wife of former Narela MLA Neeldaman Khatri, is contesting the municipal election from Narela on a BJP ticket. Neeldaman Khatri, however, insists this is not a case of dynastic politics. “My wife was a councillor from Narela from 2012 to 2017. She has been working for the people for a long time. In 2012, she won the election with a margin of over 12,500 votes,” he said.

Kesh Rani Khatri predicted that she would win the election this time as well. “I have done a lot of work for the constituency and the people want me back,” said Khatri.

To be sure, several wards where the wives, daughters or daughtersin-law of politicians are contesting have been reserved for women. But more often than not, this affirmative action towards women empowerment is exploited by politicians to field women from their own family.

Tanvir Aeijaz, associate professor of Political Science at Ramjas College, said the purpose of reservation, a move towards women empowerment, is defeated when candidates from political families are fielded. “The parties should give the opportunity to suitable workers from the party, especially those who have been working for them, but they succumb to pressure from influential political families,” said Aeijaz.

Among other such BJP candidates are Janakpuri West candidate Urmila Chawla, wife of former mayor of the erstwhile SDMC Narendra Chawla; Lajpat Nagar candidate Sardar Arjun Pal Singh Marwah, son of three-term MLA from Jangpura Tarvinder Pal Singh Marwah; Najafgarh candidate Amit Kharkhari, son of former Najafgarh MLA Ajit Kharkhari, among others.

Tarvinder Pal Singh Marwah said that his son is contesting the election because the people of Lajpat Nagar want him to. “He opened a temporary hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic and provided several people with oxygen cylinders and medicines,” he said.

Arjun, meanwhile, said he wants to serve the people. “That is what motivated me to contest the election.”

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the party does not encourage giving election tickets to family members of party leaders. “If a few tickets have been given to leaders’ family members, it is because they regularly participated in party activities, not because of their connections.”

AAP has also given tickets to multiple candidates from local political families. AAP candidate from Chandni Chowk ward Purandeep Sawhney is the son of sitting Chandni Chowk MLA Parlad Sawhney. “My son is active in social service and has been helping people. He had contested the 2017 MCD polls from Chandni Chowk on a Congress ticket,” said Sawhney, whose wife and daughter-in-law are also campaigning for Purandeep.

Sawhney also said that Chandni Chowk’s BJP candidate Ravinder Kumar is the son of former MLA Basdev Kaptan, while the Congress candidate Rahul Sharma is the son of former councillor Brij Mohan Sharma.

Meanwhile, the AAP candidate from Tigri ward is the wife of Deoli MLA Prakash Jarwal, the AAP candidate from Chandni Mahal ward Aaley Muhammad Iqbal is the son of AAP MLA from Matia Mahal Shoeb Iqbal; however, Aaley is a sitting councillor from Dilli Gate. The party has also fielded former leader of opposition in North MCD Rakesh Kumar’s wife Kiran Bala from Dilli Gate ward; and former leader of opposition in South MCD Ramesh

Matiala’s wife Rajneesh Ramesh Matiala from Matiala ward.

AAP Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said there was a huge demand for AAP tickets because everyone knew that the party was going to win the election. “AAP has fielded 250 candidates on the basis of a survey to assess the candidates’ winnability factor, their popularity and goodwill, how active they have been in social service and how accessible they have been to people,” Rai said.

The Congress too, has fielded several candidates who belong to political families. Former Sultanpuri MLA Jai Kishan’s daughterin-law Varuna Dhaka is contesting from Sultanpuri, former Seelampur MLA Mateen Ahmad’s daughter-in-law Shagufta Chaudhary is fighting from Chauhan Bangar, former Chhattarpur MLA Balram Tanwar’s son Joginder Tanwar is contesting from Bhati ward, former Nangloi MLA Bijender Singh’s son Mandeep Singh is contesting from Nihal Vihar, former Okhla MLA Asif Mohammad Khan’s daughter Ariba Khan is contesting from Abul Fazal Enclave ward among others.

Zubair Ahmad, who won the 2021 by-election from Chauhan Bangar ward and is married to Shagufta Chaudhary, said the party had conducted a survey and tickets were distributed on basis of the winnability factor. “We are getting a good response from the people,” said Ahmad.

Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary, meanwhile, said the distribution of tickets was based on multiple factors, including winnability, how politically active prospective candidates were. “There are many candidates who could not get ticket even though they belonged to political families.”

However, Aeijaz called the fielding of candidates from political parties a “travesty of democracy”.

“When politics is seen more as a harbinger of power and pelf, politicians want all of this to remain in the family. The voters must reject the candidates who acquire leadership via filial relationships rather than toil and hard work.”

AAP fielded its candidates based on a survey to assess their goodwill and accessibility.

GOPAL RAI, AAP Delhi convenor

If a few tickets have been given to family members, it is because they participated in. party activities. PRAVEEN SHANKAR KAPOOR,

Delhi BJP spokesperson

There are many candidates who could not get ticket even though they belonged to political families. ANIL CHAUDHARY,

Delhi Congress chief