News Arena India Editor-in-Chief Naveen S Garewal travelled across Telugu states and found few takers for the anti-dynasty rhetoric being raised by the BJP.
In the current elections in Andhra Pradesh, the sons and even daughters of no fewer than six former Chief Ministers are contesting.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy leads the charge. He is the son of the late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, a towering figure who served as Chief Minister until his untimely demise in a helicopter crash on September 2, 2009, shortly after assuming the role for a second time.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief of the YSR Congress Party, is seeking re-election from the Pullivendula constituency, a stronghold of the YSR family that his father represented six times.
Nara Lokesh, son of three-time CM and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, will contest for a second time in the upcoming elections after his first attempt to win from Mangalagiri in 2019 failed.
This time around, Lokesh will be challenged by YSRCP's M Lavanya.
Lokesh's political pedigree extends even further, as he is the grandson of the late N T Rama Rao, a former Chief Minister and legendary actor who founded the TDP in 1982. Naidu is contesting the Kuppam seat, which he has held for decades.
Joining the dynastic fray is Tollywood actor and sitting Hindupur MLA N Balakrishna, the son of N T Rama Rao, vying for a third consecutive term from the same constituency, considered to be a bastion of the NTR family.
Other notable scions include Janasena leader N Manohar, the son of former Chief Minister N Bhaskar Rao, who is contesting from Tenali on behalf of the NDA alliance comprising the TDP, Jana Sena Party (JSP), and BJP.
N Ramkumar Reddy, the son of former CM N Janardhan Reddy, is running on a YSRCP ticket from Venkatagiri, while K Surya Prakash Reddy, the son of another former CM K Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, is trying his luck on a TDP ticket from Dhone.
Three former chief ministers, Naidu, Jagan, and Kiran Kumar, are in the poll fray to secure the assembly and Parliamentary seats of Kuppam, Pullivendula, and Rajampet in Andhra Pradesh.
The wives of political heavyweights such as Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu are adding a touch of glamour to the campaign trail. YS Bharathi Reddy, the Chief Minister's wife, has been campaigning in Pulivendula. In contrast, Chandrababu Naidu's wife, Bhuvaneswari, has already toured the state spreading the message of the "Nijam Gelavali" (truth should triumph) campaign.
Following in the footsteps of her mother-in-law, Nara Brahmani, wife of Nara Lokesh, has been canvassing for her husband Lokes in Mangalagiri. Blakrishna's wife Vasundhara also attended roadshows to seek votes for her husband in the segment.
As the election fever intensifies, the presence of these political dynasties has undoubtedly captured the public's imagination, with voters weighing the merits of legacy against fresh leadership. Regardless of the outcome, the enduring influence of dynastic politics in the Telugu states remains a fascinating dynamic in the state's ever-evolving political landscape.
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