Shashi Tharoor’s Column on Congress Dynasty Wins Unexpected Backing from BJP

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has sparked a political stir with his latest column on dynastic politics, drawing unexpected praise from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In an opinion piece titled “Indian Politics Are a Family Business” for Project Syndicate, Tharoor warns that hereditary leadership poses a “serious threat” to Indian democracy — a critique that many in the BJP have interpreted as a direct swipe at Rahul Gandhi.

Tharoor’s article names several parties dominated by political families, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Trinamool Congress, and National Conference, arguing that entrenched dynasties weaken internal democracy and public trust.

BJP leaders were quick to endorse the piece. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla hailed Tharoor as a “Khatron ke Khiladi” for calling out what he described as the “nepo kid culture” in the Congress, claiming the Gandhi family had normalised the idea of political power as a birthright. Another BJP spokesperson, CR Kesavan, labelled the article a “truth bomb,” asserting that Tharoor had exposed the Nehru-Gandhi family’s “undemocratic hold” over the party.

BJP leaders also suggested that Tharoor’s remarks reflect frustration within the Congress ranks, predicting backlash against him from his own party. The timing of the column is also notable, coming just days ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, where the Congress is contesting as part of the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan against the BJP-JD(U) alliance.

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