As daughters and sisters stake their claims, succession in Indian political families is getting increasingly contested. Dynastic politics has long been a defining feature of Indian democracy. Since independence, parties have often witnessed leadership transitions along familial lines, most notably the Indian National Congress. Over time, this tendency deepened, and nepotism became a recurring critique of the system. In recent years, however, dynastic politics has evolved into

The Women’s Reservation Bill, proposing 33 percent quotas in Parliament, ran aground on the shoals of a missing two-thirds majority. Yet, its failure may prove less a setback for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) than a carefully staged gambit, especially ahead of key Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. On the face of it, the government’s push appeared quixotic. Without the requisite numbers, legislative success was improbable. But politics is about shapin