Dynasty in Indian politics is a phenomenon we have quietly learned to live with. Of course, we all agree that it shouldn’t exist, and we also publicly affirm that leadership should be based on ability, not ancestry. However, during every election season, we see the same old surnames bloom on posters, and we continue to elect them. Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP, recently wrote in his Project Syndicate essay that political pedigree still trumps merit, and when surnames stand in for substance, the quality of governance inevitably suffers. True. But the bigger question is this. If dynasty is such an obvious flaw, why does it not just survive but thrive?

No doubt, Tharoor is right in his assertion that dynastic politics is a grave threat to Indian democracy. He goes on to add that it’s not a Con

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