Shah attacks dynasty politics

Lucknow: BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday targeted the Congress over dynasty politics and said lack of internal democracy in a political party results in it being dominated by caste or family.
Addressing a meeting of intellectuals here, Shah drew parallel between the BJP and the Congress over who will be the next chief of the two parties. He asked the audience that who will succeed Sonia Gandhi in the Congress, to which the people responded saying Rahul Gandhi. He then posed the same question about the BJP.
“Can anyone tell me who will be the next president of BJP?, No one knows. A person with nirmal charitra (pious character) will head the BJP. The president of BJP is not elected on the basis of dynasty, caste or religion, but on the basis of merit,” Shah said.
“Internal democracy provides an opportunity for talent to develop naturally. In the absence of internal democracy in any political party, it ends up being run by gharanas (families). Among the 1,650 political parties in India, very few have internal democracy, and BJP is one of them,” he said.
He said in the absence of internal democracy, a party cannot serve the purpose of democracy and incompetent heirs are chosen to head them. “…Then these political parties become family-based or caste-based. Talent is not given any importance there, and talented people are sidelined. Parties like the SP and the BSP decide their waaris (heir).” (PTI)