Tharoor Demands End to Family Rule in Indian Politics, Seeks Transparent, Merit-Based Leadership

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticised the dominance of family rule in Indian politics, calling for a complete shift toward merit-based leadership and transparent internal democracy within parties.

In a hard-hitting article published in a Malayalam daily, the Thiruvananthapuram MP argued that Indian politics can never truly embody democracy as long as it functions like a “family enterprise.” Tharoor urged all political parties to hold meaningful internal elections and introduce legal limits on the tenure of political posts to break the cycle of hereditary power.

#ShashiTharoor | Shashi Tharoor’s comments on dynastic politics stir discomfort within Congress@poonam_burde | @Neethureghu #Nepotism #Dynasty pic.twitter.com/atyGJSz6Ys

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He stressed that voters must be empowered to choose leaders based on ability and integrity rather than lineage, warning that the continued culture of dynastic politics undermines the democratic spirit.

Tharoor’s remarks, seen as a call for reform within India’s political establishment, reignite the debate on transparency and accountability in party leadership selection.