SWAMI DIVYA GYAN
Ranchi, Oct 26: The Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 reveal the profound impact of family favouritism. This time, various political parties have fielded the wives of their top leaders and candidates who were runners-up in recent Lok Sabha elections. Many of these political wives are new to politics, while some are beneficiaries of their family’s political legacy.
Meanwhile, the parties have also provided opportunities to leaders who were runners-up in the Lok Sabha elections. This raises a crucial question: Does awarding tickets to family members and runners-up deprive dedicated party workers of the opportunities they deserve?
In these elections, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) fielded Kalpana Soren from Gandey, who had previously established her reputation by winning a by-election from the same constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominated former Chief Minister Arjun Munda’s wife, Meera Munda, from Potka and Geeta Koda, wife of Madhu Koda, from Singhbhum. Congress nominated Purnima Singh from Jharia, who is competing against BJP’s candidate Ragini Singh, wife of former MLA Sanjeev Singh. These candidates appear to benefit from family recognition, but the impact of these choices on party workers and democratic values is significant.
Also Read: JMM on its way out; Congress is history in Jharkhand, says Babulal Marandi
Discontent Among Party Workers
The emergence of political wives is one of the key themes in this election. The JMM gave a ticket to former Deputy Chief Minister Sudhir Mahto’s wife, Sabita Mahto, from Ichagarh and Baby Devi from Dumri, widow of the late Education Minister Jagarnath Mahto. Congress’s Nishat Alam, wife of Congress leader Alamgir Alam, received her first ticket from Pakur, while the BJP fielded Seeta Soren, wife of Hemant Soren’s elder brother, Durga Soren, from Jamtara. These political wives are entering the field by leveraging their family’s influence, fostering a sense of discontent among long-time and dedicated party workers.
Dedicated party workers feel that awarding tickets to these wives dismisses their years of hard work and loyalty. When experience and understanding of public issues are crucial, these political wives’ minimal experience could undermine the party’s credibility. This discontent among workers may directly impact the party’s electoral performance, raising concerns about the party’s long-term strategies.
Second Chance for Runners-Up
This time, some leaders who were runners-up in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have also received tickets for the Assembly elections. The BJP, JMM, Congress, and CPI(M) have expressed faith in these runner-up leaders by awarding them Assembly tickets. However, this policy also stirs dissatisfaction, as many of these leaders had previously lost the Lok Sabha elections, raising questions about their popularity and capability. These runners up included Seeta Soren (BJP) from Jamtara, Geeta Koda (BJP) from Jagannathpur, Sameer Oraon (BJP) from Lohardaga, Pradeep Yadav (Congress) from Poreyahat, KN Tripathi (Congress) from Daltonganj, Vinod Kumar Singh (CPI(M) from Bagodar, Mathura Mahato (JMM) from Tundi, Sameer Mohanty (JMM) from Bahragora, and JP Patel (JMM) from Mandu.
Additionally, Mamta Bhuiyan, who was the runner-up from Palamu, joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) after failing to secure a ticket from the RJD and is now contesting from Chhatarpur.
These decisions reflect that parties have chosen to rely on previously competitive candidates, but this approach may have overlooked new, deserving, and experienced candidates who have long prepared for Assembly elections.
Impact of Family Politics
The public generally expects their representatives to be selected based on merit, experience, and commitment to the people. However, when candidates are chosen solely based on family ties, it erodes the public’s trust. The people increasingly perceive that, in politics, family relations matter more than hard work and service. This undermines the core principles of democracy, distancing the public from the political process.
Need for Democratic Reform
The Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 signal a profound issue of family favouritism in politics. When tickets are awarded solely based on family ties, it disregards the party’s long-term goals and compromises the ideals of democracy. Ignoring the rights of capable leaders and workers leads to dissatisfaction within the party, weakening the democratic system.
The public and party workers alike hope that political parties will prioritize merit, experience, and commitment in their decisions. If parties fail to meet these expectations, it could erode the foundation of democracy and adversely affect the party’s long-term credibility.
Therefore, political parties must adopt fairness and transparency in ticket distribution to protect the rights of deserving leaders and strengthen the party’s internal structure. The Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 are not just an election—they serve as an opportunity to restore the balance between family ties and merit, delivering an essential message for the democracy of Jharkhand and India as a whole.
