GhoseSpot | A new script for dynastic parties: The age of entitlement is over

In the ongoing political saga of Maharashtra, what seems to have rattled Uddhav Thackeray is not so much the revolt of party legislatures and parliamentarians but that they could conceive of a Shiv Sena without a Thackeray family member at the helm. One saw shades of the same phenomenon in distant Tamil Nadu where Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) is emerging as a leader in his own rights without leaning on the legacy of the late matriarch J Jayalalithaa or the backing of her presumed heir — Sasikala. EPS comprehensively outwitted his bete-noire O Panneerselvam (OPS), who was a place-holder for Sasikala during Jayalalithaa’s final illness.

It may be premature to read these developments as leading indicators of how dynastic politics is likely to unravel in the coming years. But it may also be a mistake to overlook the underlying socio-political trends that, in turn, reflect changing ground realities. We tend to give exaggerated credit to iconic leaders for political change. In fact, leaders become icons by anticipating the mood of the people and harnessing their pent up energy to create disruptions in the existing polity. That is what turned Bal Thackeray and Kalaignar Karunanidhi into larger-than-life figures. More than just legacy, they left behind a huge bank of political capital for future generations of their respective families.

Just as rules of the stock markets have changed in the real world, management of political equity also requires new sets of competencies. Simply sitting on inheritances won't yield returns and may indeed depreciate over time as we see how old Blue Chip “brick and mortar” company stocks have been replaced by new age corporations. Similarly, family jewels have to be continuously up-traded to keep them productive and profitable. This is a trick that many scions of political empires do not get as they continue to rest complacently on the laurels of the previous generations. While this malady is already visible in the Congress and Shiv Sena, it may come to afflict other dynastic parties too in future.

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Trapped in a feudal mindset, dynasts often cannot think beyond doles. Cut off from the roots they are unable to sense the changing aspirations of the masses. With vastly improved physical and digital connectivity people are seeking opportunities to join the mainstream rather and be active stakeholders in developments. As the average of the population has come down, the imagination of the youth has been unleashed who can now dare to dream and reach for the skies. Nothing is off-limits for them including high political office — which is no longer reserved for an elite club. That is why an “auto-rickshaw driver” — Eknath Shinde — could dare to challenge the might of Shiv Sena’s first family.

The most significant realisation cutting across the nation is the importance of good governance. It is this premium being placed on “delivery” that has brought a career politician like EPS into the game in a state that has been ruled for over five decades by two personality-based parties. That a state like Tamil Nadu is beginning to look beyond identity politics is by itself a positive sign. One may argue that Tamil Nadu is ahead of the curve in political maturity and on the development index which makes it more fertile to make a transition to a competency-based culture. But in a hyper-dynamic economic environment, the laggard states can surprise by catching up sooner than expected.

For sure the rise of EPS is far from a done deal. A political journey is an uphill climb and there can be many slips along the way. So the usual conditions apply. But what has made him tick so far that allowed him to marginalise OPS? Clearly it was his performance in the last two years of his term much of which was marred by the pandemic that made him stand apart from other chips of the old block. This was evident in managing the supply-chain during COVID-19 as also implementations of schemes like crop insurance to farmers in drought affected regions. While those were pro-people moves, through initiatives like the second Global Investor Meet in 2019 he also displayed a pro-growth mindset.

EPS’ Achilles heel, people think, was the perceived proximity to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which he must now correct by being seen as his own man. Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra will have the same challenge. To carve out his own equity — distinct from both the Thackeray Shiv Sena and BJP — Shinde will also have to earn his spurs by establishing his credentials as visionary people’s leader in the mould of Modi rather than being stuck in a groove of Marathi chauvinism. The same principles do apply in the inner party power dynamics too. So, to be in the succession line of Narendra Modi, Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sarma too have to score high on governance and delivery rather than rely on political acumen, caste-equations and vote-bank politics — as politicians have traditionally done to stay in power.

Other dynastic parties must also come to terms with these new realities — in which people will demand greater accountability and party members will look for meritocracy. Like in other walks of life, the shelf life of politicians has become shorter. Social media has made their lives much more transparent where failures are hard to hide. People will no longer like to tag their fortunes with a sinking entity waiting indefinitely for the tide to rise again. This explains the exodus one is witnessing from the Congress and seen in the dramas that played out in Mumbai and Chennai over the last few weeks. What happened in the United Kingdom is also symptomatic of the same phenomenon sweeping the globe.

In short, the age of entitlement is over. Perform or perish is going to be the mantra of the future. Dynastic parties need a new script to remain relevant in the new India that is taking shape.

The author is a current affairs commentator, marketer, blogger and leadership coach, who tweets at @SandipGhose. Views expressed are personal.

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