Overview
- Tharoor argues that political leadership treated as a birthright weakens governance and says India should trade dynasty for meritocracy through legal term limits, meaningful party polls, and voter education.
- He cites the Nehru-Gandhi lineage as emblematic but lists examples across parties and states, referencing an investigation that found 149 families with multiple members in state assemblies and noting ministers and chief ministers with family ties.
- BJP figures including Shehzad Poonawalla and C R Kesavan lauded the article as “insightful” and used it to target Rahul Gandhi and other opposition dynasts, with Bihar politics referenced in coverage.
- Congress leaders offered mixed responses, with Udit Raj, Pramod Tiwari and Rashid Alvi defending dynastic leaders or framing legacy as voter-driven, and reports saying some in the party urged the high command to consider disciplinary action.
- No formal disciplinary step has been reported, and the essay—published October 31 and also carried in Malayalam by Mangalam—comes against the backdrop of Tharoor’s past divergences from the party line.