3 Sons Stepping Out Of Fathers' Shadows Turn Heartland Gamechangers

Their fathers came together under the Janata Party canopy during the anti-Emergency protests, and then diverged to create their distinct political identities. Their sons got a launch pad, but had their work cut out. Three sons stepping out of their fathers' shadows is one of the biggest stories of this Lok Sabha election.

The fathers are late Ram Vilas Paswan, late Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad Yadav, and the sons Chirag Paswan, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav.

At the centre of this election's result, which defied exit polls predictions and left experts red-faced, is Uttar Pradesh. The country's most politically-significant state dealt a massive setback to the BJP, reducing its tally from 62 (2019) to 33. And the man behind the INDIA Opposition bloc's stellar show is Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The former Chief Minister faced a rebellion led by his uncle soon after his defeat in the 2017 state polls. Shivpal Singh Yadav parted ways with Samajwadi Party, prompting questions on Akhilesh Yadav's political acumen. He managed the crisis and the uncle was back in the party fold ahead of the 2022 state polls.

In October that year, Akhilesh lost his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, a colossal political figure who dominated Mandal-era politics. And in the first Lok Sabha polls since then, the son has led the party to its best-ever show in a general election, clinching 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh and emerging as the third-largest party in Lok Sabha. As the second-largest partner in the INDIA Opposition bloc, Akhilesh Yadav is not just another regional satrap any more. He is a formidable leader who has taken on the BJP's poll machinery in its key stronghold and emerged victorious.

Also commendable is the performance of another INDIA bloc leader, Tejashwi Yadav. The former Deputy Chief Minister, who lost his post after the latest of Nitish Kumar's many flip-flops, led the INDIA campaign in Bihar from the front. His father and RJD patriarch, Lalu Prasad Yadav, is out on bail in a corruption case on health grounds. But the ailing leader can no longer take the demands of an Indian election season. So it was Tejaswi, confined to a wheelchair due to a spine injury, who led the INDIA fight in the key state. The final tally (RJD 4, Congress 3 and CPIML 2) does not entirely encapsulate the effort put in by the young leader unless it is seen against the backdrop of the NDA's sweep in 2019, when it won 39 out of 40 Bihar seats and RJD scored a blank. 

Another Bihar leader who has come of age in this election is on the other side of the NDA-INDIA divide: Ram Vilas Paswan's son Chirag, who led the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) to victory in all five seats it contested. The young leader had started his political journey with the guidance of his stalwart father. But Mr Paswan's death in 2020 set off a family feud, with Chirag's uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras claiming his political legacy.

The BJP then sided with Pashupati Paras and Chirag Paswan's fight for his political identity began. He launched the Bihar First, Bihari First campaign for public outreach and continued to support the NDA. The efforts paid off and the BJP decided ahead of the polls that Chirag Paswan is their best bet if they want to secure Paswan votes in a state where caste plays a key factor in polls. The results show the plan has worked. With the BJP falling short of majority, Chirag Paswan is now a key ally they must keep happy if they don't want the boat rocked.