India's Dynastic Politics: 'Son Rises' Bend Parties, Distort Democracy

• Dynastic politics, or 'son rises', are rampant across Indian political parties, from Nitish Kumar's JD-U to the NCP and Congress.
• Recent examples include Nishant Kumar (Nitish Kumar's son), Parth Pawar (Ajit Pawar's son), and Nitin Nabin (BJP).
• The trend extends to regional parties like K T Rama Rao, K Kavitha, Nara Lokesh, YSR Jagan Mohan Reddy, Udayanidhi Stalin, B S Vijayendra, and the Thackeray and Rane families in Maharashtra.
• This phenomenon, often driven by a "paying profession" mentality, distorts democracy and weakens parties, as seen with the Congress and regional outfits.
• Leaders often pass the mantle to family members, bypassing eligible followers, with Left parties being a notable exception.