Of filial bonds, sibling rivalries, and ideological commitments

Family dynamics and political allegiances reflect both individual ambitions and familial ties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls

- ARCHIS MOHAN

Senior Congress leader AK Antony is unwell and is unlikely to campaign against his son Anil, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate from Kerala's Pathanamthitta.

But his wish that he would rather have his son lose is reminiscent of the political discord between BJP's Vijaya Raje Scindia and her son, Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia, in the 1984 Lok Sabha election for the Gwalior seat. Vijayaraje, a founding member of the BJP, and a key backer of its earlier avatar, the Jana Sangh, campaigned against her son when he contested, at the insistence of Rajiv Gandhi, against the BJP's Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who lost.

The Antony family saga is one of many instances of the exigencies of electoral politics and individual ambitions stoking family feuds and sibling rivalries in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

However, not all parents are immune to the tug of filial bonds, even if it means straying from their ideological allegiance or party affiliation.

In Odisha, the Congress has asked its veteran legislator Suresh Routray to explain his conduct in canvassing support for his son, Manmath, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate for the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat.

Routray, 78, a six-term legislator from Jatani Assembly constituency, is a leader wellknown for his one-liners.

More from Odisha

News reports from Odisha said Suresh sought votes for his son in the city's parks. In his defence, Suresh said he had been a Congress worker for 51 years and would die a Congress worker. "I have not asked anyone to vote for my son, but when people seek my advice on whether they should vote for my son, I tell them yes," he said.