Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has once again stirred unease within his party, this time by writing an article denouncing dynasty politics. He argues that the Nehru-Gandhi family “cemented the idea that political leadership can be a birthright” and warns that dynastic politics poses a “grave threat to Indian democracy”.

He goes further than before by naming both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi as examples. It is a bold intervention—but also a deeply ironic one. There is no denying the contradiction between dynasty and democracy. In a pure democratic ideal, leadership should emerge from merit, not lineage.

Yet India’s reality is far more complex. Dynastic politics is not the monopoly of the Congress or the........

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