The political climate of the nation is heating up. With the Lok Sabha elections around the corner and various states gearing up for by-elections and assembly polls, the fervor is palpable. Amidst this backdrop, election rallies are in full swing. Star campaigners, party workers, and relatives are all mobilizing vigorously to support their candidates, taking the party's promises to the masses. This election season witnesses a curious phenomenon as numerous candidates find themselves up against their own kin, battling it out in the electoral arena.
From Maharashtra to Odisha, several contenders are engaged in electoral tussles with their own relatives. Though this isn't the first instance of kin opposing each other on the political battlefield, history has seen its share of such matchups. In 1984, for instance, Rajiv Gandhi was challenged by his brother's wife, Maneka Gandhi, at the Amethi seat. Running as an independent candidate, she ultimately faced defeat.
Fast forward to 2014, Bengal's Raiganj constituency witnessed a brother-in-law and sister-in-law go head-to-head. Congress fielded Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi's wife, Deepa Dasmunsi, while Mamata Banerjee's TMC nominated his brother, Satya Ranjan Dasmunsi, to compete against her. Moreover, the 2019 Lok Sabha elections saw a similar scenario in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad seat, where Shivpal Yadav contended against his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav's son Akshay, who ended up facing defeat.
Let's take a closer look at the intriguing matchups this election season:
Ex-Husband and Wife Face-Off in Bengal's Bishnupur
An intriguing battle unfolds in West Bengal's Bishnupur seat, where former spouses are pitted against each other. The BJP has fielded incumbent MP Saumitra Khan, while his ex-wife Sujata Mandal has been granted a ticket by Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, spicing up the contest. In the previous Lok Sabha election, Saumitra Khan secured a victory over TMC's candidate, Shyamal Santra.
Sibling Rivalry Marks Maharashtra's Polls
In Maharashtra, Baramati and Osmanabad seats will see familial battles. In Baramati, Sharad Pawar's NCP faction has pitted Supriya Sule against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, while in Osmanabad, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena has introduced Om Raje Nimbalkar against BJP MLA Rana Jagjitsinh Patil's wife Archana Patil, consequentially turning the contest into a duel between a sister-in-law and a brother-in-law.
Cousins Lock Horns in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa seat brings forth a fierce competition between cousins. YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy has nominated his cousin Y. S. Avinash Reddy, while Congress has made the contest even more gripping by granting a ticket to his sister Y. S. Sharmila. The latter currently serves as the state's Congress president. Political analysts are regarding this battle for the constituency as a fight for family legacy and dominance, with Avinash serving as the current MP.
Brothers at Crossroads in Odisha's Electoral Contest
The elections in Odisha present a unique situation where two biological brothers are challenging each other. At the Chikiti assembly seat, Ravindranath Dyan Samantra of Congress and his brother Manoranjan Dyan Samantra of BJP are going head-to-head, both sons of former assembly speaker Chintamani Dyan Samantray, who had won the seat thrice – twice as an independent and once on a Congress ticket. The younger, Manoranjan, has previously won assembly elections twice – once for Congress in 2014 and for BJP in 2019 – while the elder, Ravindranath, is contesting for the first time.
