Ranchi, In politics, nepotism and promoting dynasties has been one of the favourite topics for all parties to target each other. Still, no party has remained untouched by this and family members are still reaping the benefits of each other’s political history, connections, clout and influence.
Among the legislators who made it to the assembly in the Jharkhand elections, a combine of brother-in-law and sister-in-law, father-in-law and son-in-law have also been elected as new members.
These legislators now have the responsibility to carry forward the political legacy of their family.
The new government under the leadership of the Congress, RJD and JMM alliance leader Hemant Soren would take charge of the eastern state on Sunday.
Hemant Soren is elected from Dumka and Barhet. Sita Soren, daughter-in-law of the Soren family, who is handling the legacy of Shibu Soren, the leader of the state’s political family, and the widow of Durga Soren, is also the MLA on the JMM ticket from Santhal Pargana’s Jama seat.
That way, the pair of brother-in-law and sister-in-law will sit in the ruling party in the assembly. In 2014 and 2009 also, the pair has adorned the Legislative Assembly.
The confluence of the ruling party and the opposition in this assembly will also be interesting for the people.
Mathura Mahato, a legislator of the ruling party from Tundi, will have BJP MLA Jayaprakash Bhai Patel his son-in-law from Mandu.
Teklal Mahato, the late father of Jayaprakash Bhai Patel, was one of the founding members of the JMM. The late Teklal Mahato was a five-time MLA from the same seat and became MP of Giridih in 2004.
Significantly, this pair of father-in-law and son-in-law have been ministers and legislators in the previous governments of JMM. Jayaprakash Bhai Patel joined the BJP two months ago.
A pair of two ‘family companions’ or ‘samdhis’ will also be seen in this assembly. On one side there will be Kamlesh Kumar Singh, the newly elected MLA of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) from Hussainabad, on the other hand Rajendra Prasad Singh, senior Congress leader and MLA elected from Bermo. The two are relatives.
NCP state president and MLA Kamlesh Kumar Singh’s daughter is the daughter-in-law of Rajendra Prasad Singh. Earlier, both had been ministers in the Jharkhand government.
Besides, there are several newly elected young legislators who now have the responsibility of carrying forward the family legacy.
Amba Prasad, who was elected as the youngest member of the Legislative Assembly from Barkagaon on a Congress ticket, has a challenging responsibility to carry forward the legacy of father and former minister Yogendra Saw and mother and former MLA Nirmala Devi. Amba is the third MLA in this family, who left preparing for UPSC exams midway and entered politics. A lawyer by profession, Amba Prasad also practises in the Jharkhand High Court.
Similarly, Irfan Ansari, who was re-elected as an MLA from Jamtara on the Congress ticket, has the responsibility to carry forward the political legacy of his father Furkan Ansari. Furkan Ansari has been a minister in the Bihar government, and has also been an MLA and MP.
Ramesh Singh Munda, the martyred father of the young Vikas Singh Munda, who was re-elected MLA from the Tamar seat on a JMM ticket, has been a minister in the Jharkhand government several times, also being the JD (U) president. Vikas Singh Munda was earlier an MLA from AJSU. He joined the JMM before the election.
The newly elected JMM MLA from Ichagarh, Savita Mahato, widow of Sudhir Mahato, the late brother of Nirmal Mahato, who is the leader of the Jharkhand movement, will also have the responsibility of upholding the family’s political legacy.
Dinesh William Marandi, newly elected JMM MLA from Littipara in Santhal, now has the responsibility of fulfilling the “incomplete” dreams of late mother Sushila Hansda and former minister and former MLA Simon Marandi.
Bhanu Pratap Shahi, who was elected MLA on a BJP ticket, has also been an MLA and a minister in the past. Bhanu’s father Hemendra Pratap Dehati has also been a minister and MLA.
Jharia was the hottest seat in this election, where “devrani-jethani” (sister-in-laws) duo faced each other in the election battle. The “devrani” — Purnima Neeraj Singh, widow of Neeraj Singh, emerged victorious.
Pushpa Devi, a BJP MLA elected from Chhatarpur in Palamu, has the responsibility of handling the political legacy of her husband and former Palamu MP and MLA from the same assembly constituency, Manoj Bhuiyan.
