Letters Dynasties and leaders

This refers to Jaimini Bhagwati's article "Dynastic politics and development" (May 15). It is not fair to say that the Congress' dynastic leaders tried to push their progeny. We have to remember that after Jawaharlal Nehru, the leadership had moved out of the dynasty. Also, though Indira Gandhi was keen to get her son, Sanjay, into a leadership role, her other son Rajiv got pushed into one after her assassination. Similarly, after Rajiv Gandhi's death, the leadership did move out of the dynasty with Sonia Gandhi refusing to step up. She assumed leadership a decade after Rajiv Gandhi's death. So, it is not the Congress leadership that desperately pushed dynastic leadership, but rather the party itself that has always preferred someone from the dynasty as its leader.

Kishor Kulkarni Mumbai

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