Politics of Inheritance

The fall of the DMK and Trinamool Congress forts in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, respectively, casts a pall of gloom over the future of two political heirs. Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee has been grooming nephew Abhishek Banerjee for leadership and his angry posts after the Election Commission ordered re-polling in Falta might come back to haunt him. His claims that the ‘Diamond Harbour model’ will prevail no longer carries conviction. Rather, Trinamool’s ouster from office will certainly demoralise the local strongmen the party has relied on. In Tamil Nadu, DMK leader MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi was deputy chief minister and his brash remarks calling for eradication of Sanatana Dharma might have boomeranged.

Though BJP has not done well, DMK’s ‘Dravidian model’ was dumped by voters unimpressed by the party’s claim to represent Tamil sentiment. Things haven’t gone well for other political nepo kids either. The 2024 Maharashtra elections derailed Uddhav Sena leader Aditya Thackeray’s rise, with the rebel faction winning the honours as part of NDA. A similar split in the party hurt NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule as the breakaway faction successfully joined hands with Shiv Sena and BJP. Assam Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi’s attempts to step into his father Tarun Gogoi’s shoes have stalled as he was unable to put up a fight against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. One reason why Sarma parted ways with Congress was his apprehension that his claim to leadership would be thwarted by dynastic politics. All this goes to show that political spurs have to be earned and family legacy can only get you so far.

EC’s Officer Picks

The Election Commission’s (EC) power to transfer and post officials was repeatedly challenged during the recent state polls, but did not find favour with the courts. This meant officers from other states picked for their track record in dealing with administrative and law and order challenges were sent to states like West Bengal where election violence has been a serious issue. The EC’s decisions angered the ruling party and a Trinamool MP tagged some officers on X, deriding them and assuring that the party would remain in office. The move to deploy capable officers paid dividends as troublemakers were either detained or did not venture out. The presence of all chiefs of Central paramilitary forces on polling day in Kolkata reinforced the message.

Modi Backs Sunetra

NCP leader Sunetra Pawar’s record win from Baramati, the seat represented by her husband Ajit Pawar prior to his death in an air accident, was greeted with satisfaction and relief in the NDA camp. The election underlines her formal succession as NCP leader and came in for particular mention during Narendra Modi’s speech at BJP headquarters after results to by-elections and state Assemblies were declared on May 4. “NDA leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has also recorded a big win,” Modi said, indicating NCP’s importance to NDA’s scheme of things.

Resilient Rangasamy

All India NR Congress leader N Rangasamy is set to be sworn-in as Puducherry Chief Minister for the fourth time, a remarkable achievement for a leader who often flies below the radar. The former congressman struck out on his own and has been part of NDA since 2021. Maintaining a simple lifestyle in public life has worked and the bickering between Congress and DMK that saw the parties failing to sort out seat sharing helped too. Meanwhile, BJP and AIADMK worked out arrangements with Rangasamy, and NDA has won a comfortable victory leaving Congress and DMK in the doldrums.

PMK’s Options

There was a time when the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) figured in every winning combination in Tamil Nadu, riding its support among the Vanniyar community. It was part of the Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh governments. PMK founder S Ramadoss’ son Anbumani Ramadoss was health minister in the UPA government. But lately, its influence has declined. A tussle between father and son has not helped. There is a possibility that PMK may jump ship from NDA to support actor Vijay’s TVK.

BJP’s Bengal Battalion

BJP deputed dozens of party functionaries to West Bengal months before election day in a bid to leave nothing to chance. Many were asked to keep a low profile and stick to organisational briefs. The move worked as the functionaries, including MLAs from other states, proved experienced hands in campaign planning and collecting grassroots feedback. The BJP war room in Kolkata saw detailed discussions that involved many party managers called in to share assessments or contacted on video calls. The BJP army has now left the state after a job well done.

When a Joke Becomes Serious

Political pundits have long held that it is never a good sign for a leader if he or she becomes a subject of public jokes. As election day approached in West Bengal, social media was flooded by memes of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In the era where AI produces such memes at scale, there was always a possibility that the themes were essentially consumed bya particular echo chamber. But the sheer volume of the memes and the speed with which they spread proved to be an ominous sign for the ruling party.