Just Another Mama146;s Boy

So you thought it was Indian tradition to follow in father8217;s footsteps? Wrong. It is also traditional to follow in the shadow of mummy...

So you thought it was Indian tradition to follow in father8217;s footsteps? Wrong. It is also traditional to follow in the shadow of mummy8217;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 father8217;s constituency, for example, Siddharth Rai versus stepmom Sudha Rai for pop Kalpnath8217;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 Mothers8217; Day.

Shiela and Sandeep Dixit

Delhi8217;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 Shiela8217;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 Gandhi8217;s son Varun8217;s political statements haven8217;t been encouraging. He promised he would stay off aunt Sonia but it hasn8217;t taken much for him to go after her for her 8220;foreign origin8221;. Writing poetry is well..er..fine, but mom8217;s a hard act to follow

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi

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 he8217;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 mummy8217;s sari pallu if he doesn8217;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. It8217;s a tough fight because they are both against BSP MP Balkrishna, whose mother may not be in politics, but whose Behenji is