Express Investigation: One nation, a few parivars | Express Investigations News

Sons and daughters of MLAs, MPs, Ministers and party chiefs, all getting into the party, then getting a ticket to the legislature and the government — in state after state, party after party, a trend that’s sweeping in both scale and scope, according to an investigation by The Indian Express.

There is a paradox, though.

The BJP, in its third term in power at the Centre, and whose steadily increasing footprint across the states now accounts for 2,078 legislators, has 18.62 percent of them as dynasts.

In sharp contrast is the Congress with just under double that share.

share of dynasts in parties with more than 100 legislators

Its footprint has shrunk to 99 in Lok Sabha, it has power in just three states, accounting for 857 legislators. As high as 33.25 percent of them are dynasts — in a trend that starts right from its top with three Gandhis in Parliament.

When it comes to regional parties, this trend only gets stronger, a testament to the party’s entry barriers at the state level and the lack of a level playing field when it comes to politics and patronage.

In the NDA, its allies Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party has 51 dynasts out of 163 legislators (31.28%) and Janata Dal (United) has 28 of 81 (34.57%). The story is the same across the aisle in the INDIA coalition.

Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party has 55 dynasts out of 158 legislators (34.81%); West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has 33 of 268 legislators (12.31%); and TN CM M K Stalin’s DMK has 30 (17.44%) of 172 legislators. The so-far “non-aligned” YSRCP has 15 dynasts of 56 (26.78%).

The Indian Express investigation is based on data updated till September 20 on official websites, an analysis of election affidavits and Election Commission reports, and interviews with legislators, poll experts and government officials. Legislators include MPs, MLAs and MLCs; and families, in these cases, refer to direct descendants or relatives by marriage — sons and daughters, parents, siblings, in-laws, first cousins, aunts and nephews.

The BJP has reason to argue that it’s much more of a level playing field, its leaders’ refrain is that the leadership isn’t dynastic. However, one trend should ring a warning bell for the party that always takes a stand against nepotism and parivarvad.

When it comes to families with more than one member currently serving in state legislatures or Parliament, the BJP, which has a lion’s share of the size of the overall political pie, is Number One.

Indeed, cutting across top parties from Tamil Nadu to Kashmir, Maharashtra to Odisha, West Bengal and the Northeast, 149 families have more than one member currently placed in state legislatures or both houses of Parliament, adding up to a total of 337 legislators (see full page inside).

In sheer scale, this is almost equal to the combined strength of state assemblies in five states: Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Uttarakhand.

This list includes: six Union Cabinet Ministers, five Union MoS, nine Chief Ministers, seven Deputy Chief Ministers, 35 State Ministers and two Assembly Speakers. And, of the 149 families, 23 have more than two members each in state legislatures or Parliament.

The party wise breakup of these 149 families:

 

* BJP tops the list from these families with 84 legislators closely followed by the Congress with 73.

* Overall, these legislators include 49 pairs of fathers and sons; 14 of fathers and daughters; seven of mothers and sons; and, four of mothers and daughters. There are 80 siblings and 21 married couples. The list also includes 26 cousins, 17 pairs of uncles and nephews, and two aunts and nephews, among others.

* The 149 families include 27 whose members are fully aligned with the BJP while 23 have legislators in the BJP and other parties or independents.

* Similarly, 32 families are fully aligned with the Congress with five of them sharing legislators with other parties.

The heavyweights include: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, his MLA son Pankaj Singh; Mallikarjun Kharge, a Rajya Sabha MP and Congress president, and his son Priyank Kharge, a Karnataka Minister and MLA; Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and his son Shrikant Shinde, a Lok Sabha MP; and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his younger son Yathindra, an MLC.

The clans topping the list are well-known: Gandhis (Congress), Scindias (BJP), Naidus (TDP) and the families of the late Mulayam Singh Yadav and son Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Lalu Prasad (RJD), Sharad Pawar (NCP factions), H D Deve Gowda (JDS), YS Jagam Mohan (YSRCP), K Chandrashekhar Rao (BRS) and B S Yediyurappa (BJP) and M K Stalin (DMK).

In fact, Akhilesh’s family has the most members on the list of current legislators with eight: five in Lok Sabha, one in Rajya Sabha and two MLAs — all from SP.

Then there are those like the four Jarkiholi brothers of Karnataka who represent multiple parties: Balachandra and Ramesh are BJP MLAs; Satish is a Congress MLA and State Minister whose daughter Priyanka is a party MP; and, Lakhan is an independent MLC.

The Sangmas from the Northeast also occupy pride of place. The wife, uncle and brother-in-law of Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, who is the son of ex-Speaker the late P A Sangma, are all MLAs, too.

There are two other cases that do not fit the parameters listed above but are still significant — current legislators related to serving Governors. Pusapati Aditi Vijayalakshmi Gajapathi Raju, the daughter of Goa Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, is a TDP MLA from Vizianagaram; and, Kriti Devi Debbarman, the niece of Telangana Governor Jishnu Debbarman, is a Lok Sabha MP of BJP from Tripura East.

Dynasts with lineage legacy

While The Indian Express investigated multiple members of families currently in various legislatures, it also found that overall, there are 1174 dynasts from 989 families among the 5,294 current legislators in the country (MPs, MLAs and MLCs) — if you take into account those who are direct descendants or close kin of ex-legislators and former party leaders. In other words, they belong to a political lineage, thus reaping the advantage of family legacy and connections passed down.

From this overall data, consider this:

* Of the 387 dynasts (18.62%) in BJP’s list of 2,078 legislators (MPs, MLAs and MLCs), at least 83 hold other positions, too, as ministers or party office-bearers.

The BJP list includes three Assembly speakers — Maharashtra’s Rahul Narvekar, Uttarakhand’s Ritu Khanduri and Chhattisgarh’s Raman Singh — and several ministers and office-bearers. Narvekar is the son-in-law of NCP MLC Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar, Khanduri is the daughter of ex-CM B C Khanduri and Raman Singh’s son is an ex-MP.

In Delhi, for instance, the legacies of all its three former chief ministers —Madanlal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma, and Sushma Swaraj — are being carried forward by their children Harish Khurana (MLA), Parvesh Verma (MLA and Minister), and Bansuri Swaraj (MP).

* For Congress, 285 (33.26%) of its 857 legislators are dynasts.

The Congress list is spread across the country, where families of veteran leaders have kept the party’s name and flag alive in their regions.

For instance, the descendants of two ex-Assam CMs, Hiteshwar Saikia and Tarun Gogoi, are the party’s new faces in Guwahati and Delhi. Gogoi’s son Gaurav is deputy leader of the party in Lok Sabha and Saikia’s son Debabrata is Leader of Opposition in the state. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy is the son-in-law of ex-Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy’s brother.

The other prominent Congress dynasts who are current legislators include Sachin Pilot, son of ex-Union Minister Rajesh Pilot (Rajasthan); Anupama Rawat, daughter of ex-CM Harish Rawat (Uttarakhand); Tushar Amarsinh Chaudhary, son of ex-CM Amarsinh Chaudhary (Gujarat); Deepender Singh Hooda, son of MLA and ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Haryana); and, Vikramaditya Singh, son of ex-CM Virbhadra Singh (Himachal).

The other parties on this list are mainly run by families that wield regional power, such as the Abdullahs of J&K, and Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek in West Bengal.

The Indian Express investigation also shows that overall, out of the 1,174 dynasts across Houses — kin of past and present legislators — there are at least 21 Central Ministers, 13 Chief Ministers, eight Deputy CMs, at least 129 state ministers, four Assembly Speakers and 18 leaders of their parties in different Houses.

 

Telugu Desam Party (TDP)

N Chandrababu Naidu: CM, Kuppam MLA, party chief; son-in-law of ex-CM N T Rama Rao (NTR). Son: Nara Lokesh, MLA, Minister. Other kin: Nandamuri Balakrishna, NTR’s son, MLA. Sribharat Mathukumilli, son-in-law of Balakrishna, Lok Sabha MP. Kin in other parties: D Purandeshwari, NTR’s daughter, BJP Lok Sabha MP.
Kinjarapu Atchannaidu: MLA, Minister, son of K Yerran Naidu, ex-Union minister who died in a car accident in 2012. Brother: K Rammohan Naidu, Lok Sabha MP and Union Minister. Other kin: Adireddy Srinivas, brother-in-law, MLA.
Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy: Lok Sabha MP, earlier Rajya Sabha MP from YSRCP. Wife: Prashanthi Reddy Vemireddy, MLA.
Putta Mahesh Kumar: Lok Sabha MP (Eluru). Father: Sudhakar Putta, MLA.

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP)

Y S Jagan Mohan: MLA, party chief, ex-CM; son of ex-CM YS Rajshekhar Reddy. Other kin: Brother-in-law Yerram Venkata Subba Reddy, Rajya Sabha MP; Cousin Y S Avinash Reddy, Lok Sabha MP.
Y Balanagi Reddy: MLA, son of former MLA Bheema Reddy. Brother: Y Sivarami Reddy, MLC; three other brothers are politicians.
Beeda Ravichandra: MLC. Brother: Beeda Mastan Rao, Rajya Sabha MP.

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)

Phani Bhusan Choudhury: Lok Sabha MP. Wife: Diptimayee Choudhury, MLA.

Janata Dal-United (JDU)

Ashok Chaudhary: MLC, Minister and JDU Natl Gen Secy. Kin in other parties: Daughter Shambhavi, LJP (Ramvilas) Lok Sabha MP.
Rajvardhan Azad: nominated MLC, son of ex-CM Bhagwat Jha Azad. Kin in other parties: Brother Kirti Azad, TMC Lok Sabha MP.
Lovely Anand: Lok Sabha MP, wife of ex-MLA and MP Anand Mohan Singh. Kin in other parties: Son Chetan Anand, RJD MLA.
Dinesh Prasad Singh: MLC. Kin in other parties: Wife Veena Devi, LJP (RVP) Lok Sabha MP.
Sanjiv Singh: MLA. Kin in other parties: brother Rajiv Singh is MLC from Congress. Their father and grandfather were also MLAs.

BJP

Ravi Shankar Prasad: Lok Sabha MP. Kin in other parties: Brother-in-law Rajeev Shukla, Congress Rajya Sabha MP (Chhattisgarh).

LJP (Ram Vilas)

Chirag Paswan: Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP, son of party founder and former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan. Other kin: Brother-in-law Arun Bharti, Lok Sabha MP.

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM)

Jitan Ram Manjhi: Union Minister, Lok Sabha MP, ex-CM, party founder. Son: Santosh Kumar Suman, MLC, Minister. Other kin: Daughter-in-law Deepa Manjhi, MLA.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)

Tejashwi Yadav: Leader of Opposition, MLA, ex-Dy CM, son of Lalu Prasad, ex-Union Minister, ex-CM, party founder. Mother: Rabri Devi, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council. Brother: Tej Pratap Yadav, MLA. Sister: Misa Bharti, Lok Sabha MP.
Vibha Devi Yadav: MLA. Kin in other parties: Husband’s nephew Ashok Yadav, JDU MLC.
Bharat Bhushan Mandal: MLA, son of ex-MP, ex-Governor of Haryana Dhaniklal Mandal. Kin in other parties: Brother’s wife Sheela Mandal, JDU MLA and Minister.
Rishi Kumar: MLA, son of ex-Union minister Kanti Singh. Other kin: Vijay Yadav, RJD MLA, brother-in-law of Kanti Singh.

Independent

Rajesh Ranjan aka Pappu Yadav: Lok Sabha (Purnia). Wife: Ranjeeta Ranjan, Congress Rajya Sabha MP (Chhattisgarh).

BJP

Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate: MLA and Minister. Wife: Jennifer Monserrate, MLA.
Vishwajit Pratapsingh Rane: MLA, Minister, son of ex-CM Pratap Singh Rane. Wife: Deviya Vishwajit Rane, MLA.

Congress

Michael Vincent Lobo: MLA, ex-Assembly LoP. Wife: Deliah Michael Lobo, MLA. Both of them shifted to BJP later*.

BJP

Hira Solanki: MLA. Brother: Purushottam Solanki is also an MLA.
Shaileshbhai Babhor: MLA. Brother: Jasvantsinh Bhabhor, Lok Sabha MP.

BJP

Kiran Chaudhary: Rajya Sabha MP, ex-CM Bansi Lal’s daughter-in-law. Daughter: Shruti Chaudhary, MLA, Minister.
Naveen Jindal: Lok Sabha MP, son of ex-Minister O P Jindal. Mother: Savitri Jindal, independent MLA.
Shakti Rani Sharma: MLA, wife of ex-MP Venod Sharma. Son: Kartikeya Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP (independent, supported by BJP).
Rao Inderjit Singh: Lok Sabha MP, Union MoS, son of ex-CM Rao Virender Singh. Daughter: Arti Singh Rao, MLA, Minister.
Harvinder Kalyan: MLA: Kin in other party: Brother-in-law Indranil is NCP MLA in Maharashtra. Kalyan’s father-in-law Manohar Naik is ex-MLA in Maharashtra. Manohar is nephew of ex-CM of MH Vasantrao Naik.

Congress

Bhupinder Singh Hooda: MLA , ex-CM, son of ex-Minister (Punjab) and ex-MP Ranbir Singh Hooda. Son: Deepender Singh Hooda, Lok Sabha MP.
Jai Parkash Saharan: Lok Sabha MP. Son: Vikas Saharan, MLA.
Varun Chaudhary: Lok Sabha MP, son of ex-MLA Phool Chand Mullana. Wife: Pooja Chaudhary, MLA.
Aftab Ahmed: MLA, son of ex-MLA and ex-MP Chaudhary Khurshid Ahmed. Other kin: Uncle Mohammad Ilyas, MLA.

Indian National Lok Dal (INLD)

Aditya Devilal: MLA, grandson of ex-Dy PM & ex-CM Devi Lal. Other kin: Arjun Chautala, MLA, son of Abhay Chautala and grandson of Devi Lal’s son O P Chautala.

National Conference

Mian Altaf Ahmed: Lok Sabha MP. Son: Mian Mehar Ali, MLA. Other kin: Brother-in-law Zafar Ali Khatana, MLA.
Ali Mohammad Sagar: MLA . Son: Salman Sagar, MLA.

BJP

Balwant Singh Mankotia: MLA. Kin in other parties: Cousin Harshdev Singh, MLA, J&KPP.

Independents

Satish Sharma: MLA , Minister, son of ex-MP Madanlal Sharma. Kin in other parties: Uncle Sham Lal Sharma, BJP MLA.
Sheikh Abdul Rashid (Engineer Rashid): Lok Sabha MP. Brother: Khursheed Ahmad Shiekh MLA.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)

Hemant Soren: Chief Minister, MLA, son of late Shibu Soren, party founder and ex-CM. Wife: Kalpana Soren, MLA. Brother: Basant Soren, MLA, Minister.
Nalin Soren: Lok Sabha MP. Son: Alok Kumar Soren, MLA.
Joba Majhi: Lok Sabha MP. Son: Jagat Majhi, MLA.

All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU)

Chandra Prakash Chowdhary: Lok Sabha MP, son of part founder Rijhunath Chowdhary. Kin in other parties: Brother Roshan Lal Chowdhary, BJP MLA.

BJP

Dullu Mahto: Lok Sabha MP. Brother: Shatrughan Mahto, MLA.

Congress

Mallikarjun Kharge: Rajya Sabha MP, party president, ex-CM. Son: Priyank Kharge, MLA, Minister.
Siddaramaiah: Chief Minister, MLA. Son: Yathindra Siddaramaiah, MLC.
D K Shivakumar: Dy CM, MLA, party state chief. Other kin: Cousin Shambulingaiah Ravi, MLC.
Satish Jarkiholi: MLA, Minister of PWD in the state. Daughter: Priyanka Satish Jarkiholi, MP. Kin in other parties: Brothers Balachandra Jarkiholi, BJP MLA; Ramesh Jarkiholi, BJP MLA; Lakhan Jarkiholi, independent MLC.
S S Mallikarjun: MLA, Minister. Wife: Prabha Mallikarjun, Lok Sabha MP. Father: Shamanur Shivashankarappa, MLA, country’s oldest lawmaker at 95.
K H Muniyappa: MLA, Minister. Daughter: M Roopakala Shashidhar, MLA.
Eshwar Khandre: MLA, Minister, working state party chief. Son: Sagar Eshwar Khandre, Lok Sabha MP.
M Krishnappa: MLA. Son: Priya Krishna, MLA.
Eregar Tukaram: Lok Sabha MP. Wife: Eregar Annapoorna, MLA.
H C Mahadevappa: MLA, Minister. Son: Sunil Bose, Lok Sabha MP.
K Rajashekar Basavaraj Hitnal: Lok Sabha MP. Brother: K Raghavendra Hitnal, MLA.
Mantar Gowda: MLA. Kin in other parties: Father: A Manju, JDS MLA.
Laxmi Hebbalkar: MLA, Minister. Brother: Channaraj Hattiholi, MLC.
MB Patil: MLA and minister. Brother: Sunil Gowda Patil, MLC.
Amregouda Patil: MLA. Other kin: Nephew Sharana Gowda Patil, MLC.
Basangouda Badrali: MLC. Other kin: Uncle Hampanagouda Badarli, MLA.
R Rajendra: MLC. Father: KN Rajanna, MLA.

BJP

B Y Raghavendra: Lok Sabha MP, son of B S Yediyurappa, ex-CM, member of BJP Parliamentary Board. Brother: Vijayendra Yediyurappa, MLA, state party chief.
Jagadish Shettar: Ex-CM, MP. Brother: Pradeep Shettar, MLC.
Tejasvi Surya: Lok Sabha MP. Other kin: Uncle Ravi Subramanya, MLA.

Janata Dal-Secular (JDS)

H D Deve Gowda: Rajya Sabha MP, party founder. Sons: H D Kumaraswamy, Lok Sabha MP, Union Minister; H D Revanna, MLA. Grandson: Suraj Revanna, MLC. Other kin: son-in-law C N Balakrishna, MLA. Kin in other parties: Balakrishna’s brother C N Manjunath is BJP MP. Manjunath is son-in-law of Deve Gowda.
G D Harish Gowda: MLA. Son: G T Devegowda, MLA.

CPM

Pinarayi Vijayan: Chief Minister, MLA. Other kin: Son-in-law P A Mohamed Riyas, MLA, Minister.

BJP

Jyotiraditya Scindia: Union Minister, Lok Sabha MP, son of ex-Union minister Madhavrao Scindia. Other kin: Aunt Vasundhara Raje, MLA (Rajasthan), ex-CM and daughter of BJP veteran Vijayaraje Scindia; Raje’s son Dushyant Singh, Lok Sabha MP (Jhalawar-Baran, Rajasthan).

Congress

Digvijaya Singh: Rajya Sabha MP, ex-CM, CWC member. Son: Jaivardhan Singh, MLA.

BJP

Narayan Rane: Lok Sabha MP (Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg). Son: Nitesh Rane, MLA, Minister. Kin in other parties: Son Nilesh Rane, Shiv Sena MLA.
Santosh Danve: MLA, son of ex-Union minister Rao Saheb Danve. Kin in other parties: Sister Sanjanatai Jadhav, Shiv Sena MLA.
Ashok Chavan: Rajya Sabha MP, ex-CM (Congress), son of ex-CM Shankarrao Chavan. Daughter: Sreejaya Ashokrao, MLA.
Pankaja Munde: MLC, Minister, daughter of ex-Deputy CM Gopinath Munde. Kin in other parties: Cousin Dhananjay Munde, NCP MLA.
Dhananjay Mahadik: Rajya Sabha MP. Other kin: Cousin Amal Mahadik, MLA.
Udhayanraje Bhosle: Lok Sabha MP. Other kin: Cousin Shivendraraje Bhosle, MLA and Minister.
Shivajirao Kardile: MLA. Kin in other parties: Son-in-law Sangram Jagtap, NCP MLA.
Rahul Narvekar: MLA, Speaker. Kin in other parties: Father-in-law Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar, NCP MLC.
Ranjeetsinh Mohite-Patil: MLC, son of ex-Deputy CM Vijay Singh Mohite Patil. Kin in other parties: Cousin Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, NCP (SP) Lok Sabha MP.
Raksha Khadse: Lok Sabha MP, Union MoS. Kin in other parties: Father-in-law Eknath Khadse, NCP (SP) MLC.
Randhir Savarkar: MLA. Other kin: Cousin Anup Dhotre, Lok Sabha MP.

Shiv Sena

Eknath Shinde: Dy CM, MLA. Son: Shrikant Shinde, Lok Sabha MP.
Sandipanrao Bhumre: Lok Sabha MP. Son: Vilas Bhumre, MLA.
Uday Samant: MLA, Minister. Brother: Kiran Samant, MLA.

NCP

Ajit Pawar: Dy CM, MLA, nephew of Sharad Pawar. Wife: Sunetra Pawar, Rajya Sabha MP.
Chhagan Bhujbal: MLA, Minister. Son: Pankaj, MLC.
Makrand Jadhav: MLA, Minister. Brother: Nitin Jadhav, Rajya Sabha MP.
Sunil Tatkare: Lok Sabha MP. Daughter: Aditi Tatkare, MLA, Minister.
Sulbha Khodke: MLA. Husband: Sanjay Khodke, MLC.

NCP (Sharad Pawar)

Sharad Pawar: Rajya Sabha MP, party founder, ex-CM. Daughter: Supriya Sule, Lok Sabha MP. Other kin: Grandnephew Rohit Pawar, MLA.

Shiv Sena (UBT)

Uddhav Thackeray: MLC, son of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Son: Aditya Thackeray, MLA. Other kin: Nephew Varun Sardesai, MLA.
Sanjay Raut: Rajya Sabha MP. Brother: Sunil Raut, MLA.

Congress

Varsha Gaikwad: Lok Sabha MP. Sister: Jyoti Gaikwad, MLA. Both are daughters of ex-MP Eknath Gaekwad.

BJP

N Biren Singh: MLA, ex-CM. Other kin: Son-in-law Rajkumar Imo Singh, MLA.

Congress

Okram Ibobi Singh: MLA, ex-CM. Son: Surjakumar Okram, MLA.

NATIONAL PEOPLE’S PARTY (NPP)

Conrad Sangma: Chief Minister, MLA, National People’s Party chief, son of ex-Speaker P A Sangma. Wife: Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma, MLA. Other kin: Uncle Thomas A Sangma, MLA, Assembly Speaker; Brother-in-law Sanjay A Sangma, MLA.
Sniawbhalang Dhar: MLA, Dy CM. Other kin: Brother-in-law Wailadmiki Shylla, MLA, Minister. Dhar’s nephew Damanbait Lamare is MLA.

Trinamool congress (TMC)

Mukul Sangma: MLA, Leader of Opposition in Assembly, ex-CM. Other kin: Daughter Miani D Shira, MLA.

Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)

Neiphiu Rio: Chief Minister, MLA, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). Brother: Zhaleo Rio, MLA.

BJP

Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo: MLA, Dy CM. Wife: Sangeeta Singh Deo, Lok Sabha MP. Kin in other parties: Kalikesh Narain Singh Deo, BJD MLA. Kanak and Kalikesh are grandsons of ex-CM Rajendra Narain Singh Deo. Their fathers were also MPs.

BJP

A Johnkumar: MLA. Son: Richards Johnkumar, MLA.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

Raj Kumar Chabbewal: Lok Sabha MP. Son: Ishank Kumar, MLA.

Congress

Rana Gurjeet Singh: MLA. Son: Rana Inder Pratap Singh, Independent MLA.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)

Harsimrat Kaur Badal: Lok Sabha MP, daughter-in-law of ex-CM Parkash Singh Badal, wife of party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. Other kin: Brother’s wife Ganieve Kaur: MLA.

BJP

Kirodi Lal Meena: MLA, Minister. Other kin: Nephew Rajendra Meena, MLA.
Vishvaraj Singh Mewar: MLA. Wife: Mahima Kumari, Lok Sabha MP.
Shailesh Singh, MLA; Kin in other parties: Father-in-law Vidyadhar Singh, Congress MLA.

Congress

Sonia Gandhi: Rajya Sabha MP, wife of ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi and daughter-in-law of ex-PM Indira Gandhi. Son: Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha MP (Rae Bareli, UP), Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition. Daughter: Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra, Lok Sabha MP (Wayanad, Kerala), AICC general secretary. All three are members of CWC.
Randeep Singh Surjewala: Rajya Sabha MP (Rajasthan), CWC member, AICC general secretary, son of Congress veteran Shamsher Singh Surjewala. Son: Aditya Surjewala, MLA (Haryana).
Pramod Tiwari: Rajya Sabha MP (Rajasthan), Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha, ex-MLA (UP) from 1980 to 2014. Daughter: Aradhana Misra Mona, MLA (UP), CLP leader.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM)

P S Tamang: Chief Minister, MLA, party chief. Son: Aditya Tamang, MLA.

BJP

Dorjee Tshering Lepcha: Rajya Sabha MP. Son: Pamin Lepcha, MLA.

DMK

M K Stalin: Chief Minister, MLA, party chief, son of ex-CM and DMK founder M Karunanidhi. Son: Udayanidhi Stalin, Dy CM, MLA. Sister: Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Lok Sabha MP, party deputy general secretary. Other kin: Cousin Dayanidhi Maran, Lok Sabha MP.
K N Nehru: MLA, Minister. Son: Arun Nehru, Lok Sabha MP.
Duraimurugan: MLA, Minister, party leader in Assembly. Son: D M Kathir Anand, Lok Sabha MP.
T R Baalu: MP (Sriperumbudur). Son: T R B Rajaa: MLA, Minister.
I. Periyaswamy: MLA, Minister. Son: P Senthil Kumar, MLA.

Congress

P Chidambaram: Rajya Sabha MP, CWC member, ex-Union minister. Son: Karti P Chidambaram, Lok Sabha MP.

Congress

Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu: MLA, Minister Deputy CM. Brother: Mallu Ravi, Lok Sabha MP, son-in-law of former Dy CM Koneru Ranga Rao.
N Padmavathi Reddy: MLA. Husband: Uttam Kumar Reddy Nalamada, MLA.
Komatireddy Venkat Reddy: MLA, Minister. Brother: Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, MLA.
Vamsi Krishna Gaddam: Lok Sabha MP, grandson of ex-union minister G Venkatswamy. Other kin: Uncle Gaddam Vivek Venkatswamy, MLA, Minister; Uncle Gaddam Vinod, MLA.

AIMIM

Asaduddin Owaisi: Lok Sabha MP, party chief. Brother: Akbar-Uddin Owaisi, MLA.

 Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)

K Chandrashekar Rao: MLA, Leader of Opposition, ex-CM, party chief. Son: K T Rama Rao, MLA, working president of BRS. Other kin: Nephew T Harish Rao, MLA.
Kadian Srihari: MLA, ex-deputy CM. Daughter: Kavya Kadian, Lok Sabha MP.
Patlolla Sabitha Indra Reddy: MLA. Other kin: Nephew Patnam Mahender Reddy, MLC.

BJP

Rajnath Singh: Lok Sabha MP, Union Minister. Son: Pankaj Singh, MLA, state party vice-president. Other kin: Sister-in-law’s husband Arun Singh, Rajya Sabha MP, party general secretary.
Kamlesh Paswan: Lok Sabha MP, Union MoS. Brother: Vimlesh Paswan, MLA. Sons of ex-MLA Omprakash Paswan.
Karan Bhushan Singh: Lok Sabha MP, son of Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, ex-MP and former wrestling federation chief. Brother: Prateek Bhushan Singh, MLA.
Sunil Dutt Dwivedi: MLA, son of ex-state ministers Brahmdutt Dwivedi and Prabha Dwivedi. Other kin: Cousin Pranshu Dwivedi, MLC.
Neeraj Shekhar: Rajya Sabha MP, son of ex-PM Chandra Shekhar. Other kin: Nephew Ravishankar Singh, MLC.
Sushil Singh: MLA. Kin in other parties: Aunt Annapurna Singh, MLC (independent).
Rampal Verma: MLA; Other kin: Nephew Prabhash Verma, MLA.

Apna Dal (S)

Anupriya Patel: Lok Sabha MP, Union MoS, daughter of Apna Dal founder Soney Lal Patel. Husband: Ashish Patel, MLC, Minister. Kin in other parties: Sister Pallavi Patel, SP MLA.

Samajwadi party (SP)

Akhilesh Yadav: Lok Sabha MP, party leader in Lok Sabha, son of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. Wife: Dimple Yadav, Lok Sabha MP. Other kin: Uncle Ram Gopal Yadav, Rajya Sabha MP; Ram Gopal’s son Akshay Yadav, Lok Sabha MP; Uncle Shivpal Yadav, MLA; Shivpal’s son Aditya Yadav, Lok Sabha MP; Cousin Dharmendra Yadav, Lok Sabha MP; Nephew Tej Pratap Yadav, MLA.
Afzal Ansari: Lok Sabha MP. Other kin: Nephew Suhaib Ansari, MLA. Kin in other parties: Nephew Abbas Ansari, SBSP MLA, son of ex-BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari.
Harendra Malik: Lok Sabha MP. Son: Pankaj Malik, MLA.
Nahid Hasan: MLA. Sister: Iqra Chaudhary, Lok Sabha MP. Both are children of ex-MP Munawwar Hasan.
Ram Prasad Chaudhary: MP. Son: Kavindra Chaudhary, MLA.

NISHAD

Sanjay Nishad: MLC, Minister. Kin in other parties: Son Sarvan Nishad, BJP MLA.

TMC

Mamata Banerjee: Chief Minister, MLA, party chief. Other kin: nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Lok Sabha MP, general secretary, TMC.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay: Lok Sabha MP, party leader in Lok Sabha. Wife: Nayna, MLA.
Ratna Chatterjee: MLA. Father: Dulal Chandra Das, MLA.
Jagadish Chandra Basunia: Lok Sabha MP. Wife: Sangita, MLA.
Mamatabala Thakur: Rajya Sabha MP. Daughter: Madhuparna, MLA.

BJP

Suvendu Adhikari: MLA, Leader of Opposition in Assembly, son of ex-MP Sisir Adhikari. Brother: Soumendu Adhikari, Lok Sabha MP.
Shantanu Thakur: MP, Union MoS, son of ex-Minister Manjul Krishna Thakur. Brother: Subrata Thakur, MLA.

Congress

Isha Khan Choudhury: Lok Sabha MP. Other kin: Cousin Mausam B Noor, TMC Rajya Sabha MP, vice-chairperson of West Bengal Women Commission. Both from family of former Congress Union Minister ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury.

(*Note: Data updated till September 20, 2025; party affiliation at the time of last polls)