Modi talks against ‘Pariwarvad’, Karnataka BJP talks different tone

PM Modi, who has repeatedly been attacking opposition parties over dynasty politics and nepotism, now stands exposed with the release of the first list of BJP candidates for the Karnataka Assembly polls

Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s ticket list released for the May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka has exposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lies and hypocrisy, especially on his claims of dynasty politics or ‘pariwarvad’ in other parties.

The Prime Minister, who has repeatedly been attacking opposition parties over dynasty politics and nepotism, now stands exposed with the release of the first list of BJP candidates for the Karnataka Assembly polls. Out of the 189 candidates whose names were announced in the first list, over 30 were relatives of political leaders or elected representatives. People have started questioning the moral authority of the Prime Minister to point fingers at other parties, when his party too is favouring dynasty while allotting tickets for elections.

---

On April 8, the Prime Minister, addressing a public meeting in Hyderabad, said dynasty politics and corruption were not different and that corruption flourishes where dynasty politics prevails. Now, keeping that in mind, go through the BJP’s candidate list.

Right from Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, whose father SR Bommai was Chief Minister of Karnataka to former Chief Minister and BJP strongman BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra being allocated a ticket, even as his other son BY Raghavendra is already an MP from Shimoga, the dynasty trail is evident.

It does not end anywhere there. Kumar Bangarappa, son of former Chief Minister S Bangarappa, has been given a ticket again, while Bengaluru South MP Lakya Suryanarayana, popular as Tejasvi Surya, who also has been very vocal against dynasty politics has his uncle LA Ravi Subramanya as a sitting MLA who has been allocated a ticket this time as well.

There have been two tickets given in the same family also. Eight time-MLA and the late Umesh Katthi’s son, Nikhil Katti and his brother Ramesh Katti, have secured tickets, while the Jarkiholi brothers from Belagavi, Ramesh and Lakhan Jarkiholim have been given tickets. Sitting MLA K Poornima Srinivas, the daughter of former Minister A Krishnappa, was also given ticket again.

Pariwarvad, it appears, is part and parcel of the BJP, unlike Modi’s claims.