'Mai-baap' syndrome in politics has to go: Dinesh Trivedi

Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi took a dig at the "high command" culture in political parties, saying the current system will never allow the best politicians to surface.

The former railways minister was speaking Friday at a conference organised by the Independent Power Producers' Association of India in Panaji.

"Look at the US. Their best-educated professionals go into public life. It is thanks to the primaries which they have there. It's not like one party high command who says 'this guy has to get the ticket'," Trivedi said.

Indian politicians should take a cue from the American electioneering culture, Trivedi said. He pointed out that despite the 2008 slanging matches between Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the party's primaries, they had a perfect working relationship when Clinton was Secretary of State under President Obama.

The Indian political system, Trivedi said, would not allow for such space because of the 'mai-baap' phenomenon.

"The mai-baap syndrome has to go," he said, adding that funding for elections comes from "unacceptable forms of society".