"It is high time India traded dynasty for meritocracy. This would require fundamental reforms, from imposing legally mandated term limits to requiring meaningful internal party elections, together with a concerted effort to educate and empower the electorate to choose leaders based on merit," Tharoor said.
"I am not talking about any political party or individual. I see that the people who fit my definition of pariwarvad are angry with me. These dynasts are uniting against me across the country. They are angry why the youth in the country are taking Modi seriously," he said.
"It is true that (in politics) the fortunes of those who have been winning elections on the basis of surnames are dwindling. But in politics, this disease of dynastic politics is not completely finished. There are still people whose politics is aimed at saving their family," the PM said in an apparent swipe at several opposition parties, including the Congress.
Targeting Congress for practicing dynastic politics, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley said that a debate should be initiated on whether only a leader born in a particular family should lead the country.
The 2026 election appears to have reinforced a new political formula in Assam: Strong organisation, continuous grassroots engagement, effective alliance management and welfare-based voter outreach.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resign, citing hypocrisy in Shah's call for 'clean politics' given his past arrest. Banerjee also criticised the Election Commission and defended his party's record.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari outlined his government's priorities, focusing on strengthening the state's economy, attracting investment to create jobs, and improving law and order. He criticised the previous administration for alleged corruption and appeasement politics, while highlighting initial successes in border management and reducing criminal activities.
Munde alleged "sensationalisation" of news, with her party colleague and state minister Sudhir Mungantiwar saying that her statement was taken out of context.
A list of some prominent political families of the BJP.
Vijay's TVK is poised to win its debut Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, drawing parallels to Arvind Kejriwal's AAP's rise in Delhi. Both parties capitalised on public disenchantment with established political structures, promising change and fighting corruption.
There was no room for dynastic rule in a democratic party like DMK and the family legacy would not be allowed in the party, he said in a statement.
Though both the Dravidian majors are facing questions on family politics, the ruling party especially finds itself in the dock since its late leader J Jayalalithaa had often used it to target her party's archrival DMK.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of shielding infiltrators, promoting dynastic politics, and supporting the construction of a mosque resembling the Babri Masjid.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the BJP would not allow any intruders into West Bengal if they win the state election, and would selectively root out illegal immigrants already present.
'It was done with record speed. First, a revolt of the MLAs, which was obviously engineered.' ''No one believed me when I said the MLAs breaking away is not the real issue.' 'It is like a comet. The head doesn't matter, the tail matters.' 'And the tail is Parliament. Suvendu has gifted the prime minister 20 MPs.'
If you are feeling depressed, just watch this 15 year old on your TV! Your blues will fly away, exclaims Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Shah said the Modi government has in the last three years shown the political will to take decisions.
Hitting back at Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah for his dynastic politics jibe, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday termed it as "hypocrisy," saying the party should first "lecture" its friends in Maharashtra and Punjab.
Tarique Rahman is Bangladesh's first male prime minister in more than three decades, ending an era of female leadership that began in 1991.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the BJP's commitment to implementing the Uniform Civil Code in West Bengal within six months of assuming power, while also promising a Bengali chief minister.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the BJP's 47th Foundation Day, highlighting the Uniform Civil Code and 'One Nation, One Election' as key unfinished agendas. He also reaffirmed the party's commitment to implementing women's reservation in the 2029 elections and criticised dynastic politics.
'Even if they align with the TVK now, I don't think the AIADMK leadership will completely surrender to the dominance of Vijay.'
Sharpening his attack on the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described dynastic politics as a termite that eats away the foundations of democracy.
'EPS exposed all the traitors. The DMK has given them political asylum. They are political orphans.'
Coming out against dynastic politics and nepotism in Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the electorate to junk such parties and elect a Bharatiya Janata Party government with majority, saying he did not want support of "dangerous" people lodged in Tihar Jail, apparently referring to former CM Om Prakash Chautala.
If TVK MLAs and ministers are perceived as clean, or demonstrably cleaner than their predecessors, the credibility dividend will be enormous. The voter will feel rewarded, points out Ramesh Menon.
'India has seen that whenever dynastic politics has been powerful, institutions have taken a severe beating'
"The Congress believes in the politics of appeasement and dynasty, whereas BJP follows politics of performance," Shah said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a dig at the culture of dynastic politics and appeared to target Congress by taking a veiled swipe at Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra who is embroiled in controversies over his land deals.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the BJP's manifesto for West Bengal, promising a Uniform Civil Code, a Bengali chief minister, and improved governance.
'He worked over time to become the natural claimant,' a senior UDF leader observed. 'Others had organisational stature, but Satheesan had momentum.' For the Congress, it may signal the beginning of a new leadership template -- one where performance, communication and grassroots credibility increasingly outweigh inherited power structures in deciding who leads the party into its next phase.
The Congress claimed that dynastic politics exists across party lines and also hailed the Nehru-Gandhi family's leadership.
'Vijay did not defeat Dravidian politics from outside. He entered the Dravidian field and claimed ownership of it. 'His argument was not that the room should be destroyed. It was that the present occupants no longer deserved to remain in it.'
Shah said before the Yogi Adityanath dispensation assumed office, Uttar Pradesh was known for 'goonda raj' and bad law and order. '...Yogi government has established rule of law,' he said.
Tarique Rahman, after 17 years in self-exile, has led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to a significant victory, becoming the country's Prime Minister. This marks a major turnaround for the BNP after years of being targeted by the Awami League government.
The high-intensity election campaign in Tamil Nadu concluded with accusations and counter-accusations between the DMK and AIADMK, while new entrant TVK made its presence felt. Key issues included state autonomy, corruption, law and order, and the delimitation bill.
Saif Ali Khan may have delivered several iconic performances, but some of his fascinating roles still do not get the appreciation they truly deserve.
'All appointments are from one family. And this is the fundamental difference between the Congress and the BJP'
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
He chose what was best for India, not for himself. Few can deny that when god took Shastri away so soon, they did India an injustice, points out Harishchandra.
