They all denounce it but they all practise it too. After the big political parties, it is now the small political parties that have got caught in the web of dynastic politics in Uttar Pradesh.
The Peace Party that initially criticised family politics has now succumbed to its charm.
While Peace Party president Ayub will be contesting the polls from Sant Kabir Nagar, his son Irfan is contesting the Mubarakpur Assembly seat.
If the father-son duo manages to win the elections, they will become the second father-son duo after Kalyan Singh and Rajvir Singh in 2002 to sit in the Assembly. Kunwar Harivansh Singh, who heads the Kshatriya Mahasabha and now the Rashtriya Parivartan Morcha, is keen to get his son, Ramesh Singh, elected from the Shahganj seat in Jaunpur with help from jailed BSP MP Dhananjay Singh.
It is because of this that Harivansh Singh has stitched up an alliance of small caste based parties that could help him get additional votes for his son.
Another shrewd politician is Om Prakash Rajbhar of Bhartiya Samaj Party who had chosen the Zahurabad and Rasra seats for his wife Taramani’s debut in electoral politics. Both these seats are known to be under the influence of Ansari brothers (Mukhtar and Afzal) and it is primarily because of this that Om Prakash Rajbhar has joined hands with Qaumi Ekta Dal, the party floated by the Ansari brothers.
The Ansari brothers, meanwhile, are preparing to expand the presence of their family in politics. While Mukhtar — in jail since 2005 — will be contesting his Mau seat, his brother Sigbatullah Ansari will re-contest the polls from his Mohammadabad seat.