According to data provided by the Election Commission of India, there are 64 recognised political parties and 2,763 unrecognised political parties in the country.
Of these recognised and unrecognised parties, around 95% are family-controlled, including the Indian National Congress, which remains in the vice-like grip of Sonia Gandhi and her family. In some cases, these family-controlled parties may have a head who is not a family member; however, this figure must be completely loyal to the family in control. In other words, the non-family head cannot hold an independent view or adopt an approach that diverges from that of the controlling family.
There are a handful of political parties—such as the BJP, the Communist Party of India, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)—that are not under the control of any particular family, but these are few and far between.
Today, several Indian states are administered by family-controlled political parties.
The central problem posed by these parties is that decisions are taken and actions initiated solely with the interests of the family members who hold various positions—directly or indirectly—in mind. National and social interests are only considered if they align with, or at least do not conflict with, the priorities of the family in power.
Of course, these parties have cadre strength at various levels, but these cadres, too, must show unwavering loyalty to the family members.
A notable pattern in these parties is that leaders at various levels also appoint their own family members to maintain control at their respective levels. In short, the structure resembles a chieftain at the top with local chieftains operating below, creating a self-serving hierarchy.
The only time these parties face significant internal challenges is when differences arise among the family members due to conflicting priorities. This leads to disputes between fathers and sons, sons-in-law and mothers-in-law, husbands and wives, or among siblings, nephews, and nieces. Crucially, these quarrels are not over national or social causes, but over one-upmanship and control of the party machinery.
Indian media is saturated with news and gossip about the infighting among family members within these political dynasties. Heated debates are broadcast in print and visual media, speculating whether the son will prevail over the father or vice versa, and who will ultimately have the last laugh.
With so many family-controlled political parties in existence, alignments and realignments frequently occur just prior to elections, with absolutely no regard for principles, policies, or programmes. These alliances of strategic convenience are aimed solely at hoodwinking voters and consolidating support from diverse voting blocs.
What is particularly unfortunate is that even the few parties not controlled by families often have no hesitation in forming alliances with family-run parties to prevent vote splitting and secure electoral success. In such a compromised political environment, the undue and negative influence of family-controlled parties extends even to those that claim independence.
The result is that governance at various levels—national, state, municipal, and panchayat—has essentially fallen under the control of these political families. Elected representatives in Parliament, state assemblies, municipal corporations, and local bodies cannot express personal opinions but must toe the party line as dictated by the ruling family.
Indian democracy now resembles a chaotic system dominated by multiple family-run political entities driven by vested interests. Consequently, corruption and nepotism have become the norm in states administered by such families.
India is clearly paying a steep price for this state of affairs, where democracy and its functioning have effectively been hijacked by dynastic politics.
The Indian public is increasingly dismayed by this situation and wonders whether the country’s democratic system will ever truly reflect the needs, views, and priorities of the common citizen. The urgent need of the hour is to rescue Indian democracy from derailment by eliminating the dominance of family-controlled political parties from the political landscape.
