Hyderabad: How many sons and daughters will give a gift to their fathers on next the Father’s Day by becoming MLAs or MPs? Many politicians are waiting to see their sons and daughters as MLAs or MPs after the forthcoming elections.
In politics and cinema, legacy is common, unlike in other fields. A doctor’s son or daughter may not become as doctor. Likewise, an engineer's son or daughter may not become an engineer, because professional qualification is must for these jobs.
But a political leader’s son or daughter can become a politician. An actor’s son can become an actor, because they don’t need any specific qualification. However, in recent time, young politicians and actors too are well educated. After completing their education, they are enter these fields.
In most political parties, the ‘legacy’ agenda will dominate in the coming general elections. But not all politicians are encouraging their children to come into politics. Some politicians prefer to have their daughters in the field. Former minister D.K. Samarasimha Reddy, for instance, doesn’t want his son D.K. Raghu to get into politics. Raghu is a ‘super specialist’ in the field of gastroenterology working in the US for a decade.
Samarasimha Reddy said, “My son is well placed in the US, he is not interested in politics. I am also not encouraging him. After my retirement from politics we may think about that.” Former minister M.V. Mysoora Reddy is also not interested in seeing his sons come into politics. In political circles it’s rumoured that Mysoora’s son will contest in the next general elections, but when contacted Mysoora Reddy denied it. “My son is not contesting in the next general elections.”
Congress MP Palvai Govardhan Reddy’s daughter Sravanthi is in politics. In fact, she wanted to contest in the last elections. Palvai’s sons are not interested in politics. When Palvai was asked why he is encouraging his daughter and not his sons, he said, “My sons are not interested in politics, but my daughter is very active in politics. If anyone wants success in politics, legacy will not help, one’s own capacity must also be there”.
In the Congress, Telugu Desam and YSRC, many politicians are encouraging their children. Some are retiring from active politics to give a chance to their children. For example minister R. Changareddy is retiring from active politics to promote his daughter Indira. He wants his daughter to contest from his own constituency Nagari in Chittoor.
Some politicians are continuing in politics while encouraging their children to get involved in the field. YSRC MP Mekapati Raj Mohan Reddy will contest from Nellore Lok Sabha constituency in the next elections. His brother Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy is an MLA from Udayagiri. He will also contest from the same constituency in the next elections. Now Mekapati Rajmohan Reddy’s son Goutam Reddy wants to contest from the Atmakuru Assembly seat in the next elections.
Like father like son/daughter
Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who made it big thanks to his father, has told leaders that he will give tickets only to their children. Jagan wants to promote young blood in politics, explained a YSRC leader. There are many kids following in their father’s footsteps. Ex-minister U. Venkateswarlu’s son will contest in the polls, as will Dadi Veerabhadra Rao’s son Ratnakar. TD MLC N. Rajakumari’s daughter Sudha, former CPI MLA P. Nageswar Rao’s son Ajay, P. Ramachandra Reddy’s son Mithun, YSR’s daughter and Jagan’s sister Sharmila will also be in the fray.
Many TD leaders are over the hill and party president Chandrababu Naidu wants to encourage their children. He has declared 30 per cent of the TD tickets will be given to youth. Among them will be Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu’s son Jagadish, B. Gopalakrishna Reddy’s son Sudhir Reddy, late Paritala Ravi’s son Sriram. P. Ashok Gajapati Raju’s daughter Athidhi, former deputy speaker G. Appala Suryanarayana’s son Siva Gangadhara Prasad, Telugu Mahila president Shobha Hymavathi’s daughter Swathi or her husband Ganesh are being considered.
Naidu’s brother’s son Girish, former deputy speaker Md Farooq’s son Firoz are on the list. Watch this space for Lokesh.
The Congress is in the ‘inheritor’ mode, predictably. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s father, the late Amarnath Reddy, was a former minister. Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar’s father Nadendla Bhaskar Rao was a former Chief Minister. Some of the ministers’ fathers were also politicians.
Bapatla MLA Gade Venkata Reddy wants his son Madhusudan Reddy to contest in the elections; Panchayat Raj minister K. Jana Reddy and former home minister Sabita Indra Reddy want a poll ticket for their sons. Congress MP Palvai Govardhan Reddy and former minister R. Changareddy are in some way different. They want the party tickets for their daughters. Many other Congress leaders are also in the queue for tickets for their kids.