Just Another Mama’s Boy

So you thought it was Indian tradition to follow in father’s footsteps? Wrong. It is also traditional to follow in the shadow of mummy&...

So you thought it was Indian tradition to follow in father’s footsteps? Wrong. It is also traditional to follow in the shadow of mummy’s sari. When son and mom enter politics together, or fight each other at the hustings, we can be sure that India is the mother of all democracies. Besides, why should the mother tongue be restricted to only sons of the soil? As Rahul Gandhi has shown, you can be Harvard-educated and still love the motherland. But then you really are up for the mother of all political contests if you are looking for a son rise in your father’s constituency, for example, Siddharth Rai versus stepmom Sudha Rai for pop Kalpnath’s Ghosi seat. Yet the political umbilical cord could also lead to a mother of a mandate, and for many candidates, Campaign 2004 is a time to celebrate Mothers’ Day.

Shiela and Sandeep Dixit

Delhi’s genial CM was inducted into politics by her father-in-law Uma Shankar Dixit, even as her husband Vinod remained the unassuming IAS officer. Now Shiela’s son, Sandeep, the serious-faced Stephanian, is the Congress candidate from East Delhi, hoping to win as decisively as mom won from Gole Market

Maneka and Varun Gandhi

The statistic-busting winner from Pilibhit and a sworn crusader against milk and animal abuse, Maneka Gandhi’s son Varun’s political statements haven’t been encouraging. He promised he would stay off aunt Sonia but it hasn’t taken much for him to go after her for her “foreign origin”. Writing poetry is well..er..fine, but mom’s a hard act to follow

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi

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She has the roadshow, he has the Amethi blitzkrieg. She has the party to safeguard and the nation to save, he has the seat to win. She spreads her apron wide to shelter him from his enemies. But he’ll have to learn his chosen mother tongue better to keep his mandate for the future.

Vasundhara Raje and Dushyant Singh

The five-time, record-breaking winner from Jhalawar and Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, has vacated her seat for her little boy, Dushyant. He will undoubtedly benefit from her careful nurturing of her constituency, but may not be able to free himself from mummy’s sari pallu if he doesn’t work hard enough

Sudha and Siddharth Rai

Mother and stepson battling for the parliamentary seat of Ghosi and for the legacy of the late Kalpnath Rai, whose 12 lakh voters voted for him even when he was in prison. It’s a tough fight because they are both against BSP MP Balkrishna, whose mother may not be in politics, but whose Behenji is

‘Violence in Nepal is heart-rending’: PM Modi expresses concern as KP Sharma Oli resigns

India2 hr ago

Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed worry about the turmoil in Nepal and stressed the need for peace and stability. The Nepal Army and security officials called for dialogue to restore order amidst growing protests and the resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli. The Indian government issued a safety advisory for Indian citizens, advising against travel until the situation improves.

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