The Opposition’s Biggest Problem Isn’t BJP—It’s Dynasty Politics

By MANISH ANAND

Electoral shifts in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu suggest that family-led parties are confronting growing voter skepticism, while the BJP and emerging political forces capitalize on demands for leadership renewal and internal democracy.

New Delhi, June 11, 2026 — West Bengal and Tamil Nadu present a lesson in crude terms to the Opposition parties — political dynasties no more win elections. The rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opening of space for alternative politics reveal that dynastic political parties have more challenges in store.  

The unravelling of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu politics offers reiteration of warning against dynastic politics. The poll outcomes in the two states and the subsequent ruptures in key political outfits suggest that dams have burst which had held anguish against family controls.

This is just a pattern that is revealing. In recent years, the fading away of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) offered a sobering account of the politics of dynasty. The failed experiment to anoint Akash Anand, nephew of BSP supremo Mayawati, as the heir of the outfit boomeranged.

Naveen Patnaik in Odisha sought to substitute the lack of a family with an import from the bureaucracy as his apparent political heir. V. Karhikeya Pandian, a native of Tamil Nadu, had almost been running affairs of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Quitting the IAS, he projected almost a sense of being a heir to Patnaik’s legacy.

Neither the BSP nor the BJD lacked political talent polls. They brimmed with promising political leaders. For the BSP, Dara Singh Chouhan and Munkad Ali nursed the party’s core constituencies. The BJD boasted of a string of formidable leaders who made their marks in Indian parliament with their depth of understanding.

But Mayawai and Patnaik showed no hearts for internal democracies in their respective outfits. Both the parties are now in stages of terminal declines.

Mamata Banerjee, former West Bengal Chief Minister, erred in not reading the writing on the wall. She should have blessed Suvendu Adhikari as her political heir. She chose her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. Now most of the Lok Sabha MPs threaten to bolt the TMC, solely because of Mamata Banerjee’s nephew.

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Salin believed that the politics of dynasty has no expiry date in the Dravidian land. His son Udhyanidhi Stalin led the DMK in the state. He in turn sought to launch his son also in the politics.

The people of Tamil Nadu through the verdict said that they would rather prefer a film star. Vijay of TVK blasted the fortress of Dravidian politics.

The Congress has been losing party’s regional satraps. India’s main Opposition outfit stays firmly with the Gandhi family at the lead. This is despite the fact that the Congress has been out of power since 2014 at the Centre.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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