Overview
- Shashi Tharoor’s Project Syndicate piece calls dynastic politics a grave threat, naming the Nehru‑Gandhi lineage and multiple regional families while arguing India should trade dynasty for meritocracy.
- Tharoor cites a probe noting 149 families with multiple members in state assemblies, plus 11 central ministers and nine chief ministers with family ties.
- BJP leaders Shehzad Poonawalla and C. R. Kesavan praised the article as “insightful,” framing it as a direct critique of Rahul Gandhi and a timely boost ahead of the Bihar polls.
- Congress figures offered mixed responses, with leaders like Udit Raj and Pramod Tiwari defending the Gandhis or broadening the issue, and reports indicate some insiders have urged disciplinary action though none is announced.
- Tharoor proposes term limits, meaningful internal party elections, and voter education, with coverage noting his past divergences from the party line as context for the current rift.