UPA's campaign for 2014 is on pro-poor and "left to the center" theme. However, a quick scan of the profiles of various ministries clearly reveal that UPA is nothing but a feudal cluster of political dynasties.
The following table shows the list of UPA ministers who have family members in active politics. Please note that we cant name the Gandhi family here as they don't hold any "formal" role in the government.
Some of them have resigned or are in the process of doing so (mostly Andhra members), however we may still consider them as part of the UPA.
| Cabinet Ministers | |||
| 1 | Minister of Agriculture | Sharad Pawar | His nephew and daughter are in politics and are part of the NCP. Younger brother, Pratap runs the influential Marathi daily, Sakal. Sharad Pawar has been in and out of Congress since long. Had left congress in 1978 and became a CM in alliance with Janata Party, joined congress back in 1987, to leave it again in 1999 citing Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin. Has been linked to Sahid Balwa, Telgi, Dawood, Lavasa and many other controversies by the media. |
| Minister of Food Processing Industries | |||
| 2 | Minister of Finance | P. Chidambaram | His son Karti (an AICC member and vice-president of All India
Tennis Association (AITA) ) is slowly gaining prominence in the TN congress.
http://www.karti.in/index.aspx His maternal grandfather was Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar, a wealthy merchant and banker from Chettinad. His grand uncles and grand father were the Co-founders of Indian Overseas Bank, Indian Bank, United India Insurance and Annamalai University Chidambram had broken away from congress to join Tamil Manila Congress. Chidambram has been linked to controversies like 2G scam, accused of benefiting Sterlite group, Aircel-Maxis deal etc. His wife was alleged to have links with the Chit fund scam in Kolkata. |
| 3 | Minister of External Affairs | Salman Khurshid | He
is the son of Khurshed Alam Khan, the former Union Minister of External
affairs, Government of India, and maternal grandson of Dr. Zakir Hussain, the
third President of India. Educated at St. Stephen's College, Delhi and St
Edmund Hall, Oxford University, Oxford, U.K. His wife Louis is also in Politics. |
| 4 | Minister of Home Affairs | Sushilkumar Shinde | His
daughter Praniti Shinde is MLA in Maharashtra. Is known more of his goof ups even while reading written statements. Has been a lose canon even on important issues related to terrorism and women rights. |
| 5 | Minister of Human Resource Development | Pallam Raju | His father (Shri M.S. Sanjeevi Rao) was a Union Minister (1982–1984). Raju is an MBA from Temple University, Philadelphia, USA |
| 6 | Minister of Law and Justice | Ashwani Kumar | He
is the son of Prabodh Chandra -- a former speaker of Punjab Assembly. He had to resign for "informally" influencing the CBI probe in Coalgate. |
| 7 | Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers | M. K. Alagiri | Represented DMK. He is the second son of the head of DMK, Karunanidhi. Has been accused of murder, however acquitted by the courts. Recently, his son was absconding from Police for a long time. |
| 8 | Minister of Civil Aviation | Ajit Singh | He
is the son of former prime minister of India and Jat leader Choudhary Charan
Singh. His son Jayant Chaudhary is also a Lok Sabha member. |
| 9 | Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation | Ajay Maken | His
uncle, Lalit Maken was a member of parliament from South Delhi. Lalit Maken
himself was the son-in-law of late President of India, Shankar
Dayal Sharma. |
| 10 | Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas | Veerappa Moily | His
son Harsha Moily has not joined politics yet (although was rumoured to join before Karnataka elections). He currently runs a family controlled trust, which was under a controversy for getting funds from a leading corporate house. http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-03-19/news/37844109_1_mya-harsha-corporate-affairs-minister |
| 11 | Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises | Praful Patel | His father, Manoharbhai Patel was a congress politician and a successful businessman. Apart from his political activities, Praful Patel runs the $5 billion CeeJay Group, the largest beedi (or bidi) maker in India’s western Maharashtra state. Allegation of bribery in an investigation in Canada. |
| 12 | Minister of Water Resources | Harish Rawat | His son Anand Rawat is in active Politics (Is President of the Uttrakhand Youth Congress). Harish rawat was ignored in the Uttrakhand politics, however had been compensated with a cabinet berth. There is a Pending case against Harish rawat, albeit charges are not very serious. |
| 13 | Minister of Urban Development | Kamal Nath | His wife Alka Nath has also been introduced into Politics. Has close ties with the Nehru–Gandhi family, was a friend and schoolmate of Sanjay Gandhi at the Doon School. Was accused of Anti-Sikh riots, fined for flouting norms in his Hotel Business, one of the richest ministers |
| Minister of Parliamentary Affairs | |||
| 14 | Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs | Vayalar Ravi | He is a grass root leader. However, his son Ravi Krishna has a company, Ziqitza with P Chidambram's son Karthi. They have been accused of corruption in execution of NHRM projects in Rajasthan called as "Ambulance Scam" by some sections of the media. http://tehelka.com/the-new-ambulance-chasers/ |
| 15 | Minister of Labour and Employment | Mallikarjun Kharge | His son Priyank Kharge is an active leader of the Congress Party. He had fought election after Mallikarjun Kharge had vacated his seat for Lok Sabha. Though he had lost the by election then, he is now an MLA from Chitapur in Karnataka. |
| 16 | Minister of New and Renewable Energy | Farooq Abdullah | Son
of Sheikh Abdullah and father of Omar Abdullah, both chief ministers of
J&K. His daughter is married to Sachin Pilot. Has been subjected to hot/cold relationship with the Congress. Was ousted by Congress through dismissal by the governor in 1984. Then won the election of 1987 in alliance with Congress (an established trigger for upsurge of terrorism in the valley). Known for being mute on Kashmiri pandits. |
| 17 | Minister of Railways | Pawan Kumar Bansal | His
lawyer son Manish Bansal is in active politics, manages his father's
constituency and is an important leader of the Congress Party. Pawan Bansal had to resign for being accused in Railway Bribery Scam. His other relatives are also influential in politics including his nephew involved in the Railways bribery scam. |
| 18 | Minister of Labour and Employment | Sis Ram Ola | His son Bijendar Ola is an MLA and a minister in Rajasthan, |
| 19 | Minister of Shipping | G. K. Vasan | He
is the son of a G. K. Moopanar, who was a senior congress member from Tamil
Nadu. Was part of Tamil Manila Congress. Also, it was rumoured that he would break away from Congress on Sri Lanka issue. |
| 20 | Social Justice and Empowerment | Selja Kumari | She is the daughter of Chaudhary Dalbir Singh, a congress leader from Haryana. |
| 21 | Minister of Steel | Beni Prasad Verma | An
import from Samajwadi Party. His son Rakesh verma has fought an election on
Congress ticket from Dariyabad seat in UP. |
| Min of State Independent Charge | |||
| 22 | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting | Manish Tewari | His
grandfather, Sardar Tirath Singh , was a minister in the congress government
in Punjab. His father Vishwanath Tewary was a Rajya Sabha member. Manish Tewari is known to make aggressive comments. His "head to toe" remark against Anna Hazare had raised a huge controversy. |
| 23 | Ministry of Power | Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia | Son
of Madhavrao Scindia, belongs to the royal family of Gwalior. Is being projected as the CM candidate by Congress in the upcoming MP elections. |
| 24 | Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation | Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki | Son
of Madhavsinh Solanki, a Congress leader from Gujrat. His maternal grandfather Ishwarsinh Chavda was four time MP from the same constituency which he represents now. |
| 25 | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports | Jitendra Singh | Belongs
to the royal family, is the grandson of Maharaja of Alwar. His mother Mahendra Kumari was also an MP from Alwar. Jitendra Singh is seemingly part of the core team of Rahul Gandhi. |
| 26 | Ministry of Corporate Affairs | Sachin Pilot | Son
of the congress leader Rajesh Pilot. His mother was also an MP. He is also the son in law of Farooq Abdullah, an union minister and ex-CM of J&K(leading political dynasty in Kashmir). Interesting to note that his father Rajesh Pilot had fought for congress presidency against Sonia Gandhi. |
| 27 | Ministry of Ministry of Women and Child Development | Krishna Tirath | Her daughter Yashvi has found a place in the list of member delegates of delhi Congress, a stepping stone to larger role within Congress. Tirath has also been accused of promoting her daughter for an anchor's job in Doordarshan. |
| 28 | Ministry of Environment and Forests | Jayanthi Natarajan | Her
grandfather was M. Bakthavatsalam, a prominent Congress politician and Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu between 1963 and 1967. She had left congress to join Tamil manila Congress during late 90s. |
| 29 | Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Parliamentary Affairs | Paban Singh Ghatowar | His wife Jibontara Ghotwar is also an MLA from Moran (Dibrugarh) in Assam. |
| Ministers of State | |||
| 30 | Ministry of Agriculture | Tariq Anwar | Anwar's
father Shah Mustaq Ahmed was elected to state assembly from Sikandra
(Lakhisarai) in Bihar. His grandfather was President of Bihar-Orissa Pradesh
Congress Committee. Tariq Anwar had to leave Congress after Sitaram kesari was pushed out. Once a dynamic youth leader from Bihar Congress, is currently a RS member from Maharashtra. Had left congress against Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin issue. |
| 31 | Ministry of Commerce and Industry | Daggubati Purandeswari | She
is the daughter of Andhra Pradesh's former chief minister N. T. Rama Rao and
wife of Venkateswara Rao, an ex-Minister of Andhra Pradesh |
| 32 | Ministry of Textiles | Lakshmi Panabaka | Panabaka Krishnaiah, husband of Lakshmi Panabaka is also active in politics. However, had lost the assembly elections in 2009. |
| 33 | Ministry of Human Resource Development, Defence | Jitin Prasada | son
of Jeten Prasada, congress leader from UP. Interesting to note that Jeetan Prasada fought for congress presidency against Sonia Gandhi and thereafter was shunted within the party. Jitin Prasada is an active member of Rahul Gandhi's team. |
| 34 | Ministry of External Affairs | Preneet Kaur | She is wife of Amarinder Singh, ex- CM of Punjab and belongs to the royal family of Patiala. |
| 35 | Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment | D. Napoleon | A
DMK member, an actor by profession. His uncle KN Nehru, is a senior DMK leader and a minister in
tamil Nadu. Has founded Jeevan Technologies, an IT company. |
| 36 | Ministry of Road Transport and Highways | Tushar Amarsinh Chaudhary | He is son of former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Amarsinh Chaudhary. |
| 37 | Ministry of Coal | Pratik Patil | Son of former Loksabha member Prakashbapu Patil. He is the grandson of former chief minister of Maharashtra Padmabhushan Vasantraodada Patil |
| 38 | Ministry of Home Affairs | Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh | A
royalty from east India (the prince of Padrauna state in Kushinagar). His father, CPN Singh was a Congress leader and was also a central minister. RPN Singh's wife is NDTV anchor,Sonia Singh. |
| 39 | Ministry of Agriculture and Food Processing Industry | Charan Das Mahant | An MP from Korba, Chattisgarh. His father Dr. Bisahu Das Mahant was also a Congress MLA from Champa and was also a state minister. |
| 40 | Ministry of Communications and Information Technology | Milind Murli Deora | Son
of Murali Deora, an ex-minister and MP from Mumbai. It is open secret that Murali deora and Dhirubhai Ambani were close friends. |
| 41 | Ministry of Railways | K.J. Surya Prakash Reddy | Son
of the former chief minister K Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy. |
| 42 | Ministry of Tribal Affairs | Ranee Narah | Wife of Assam Congress politician Bharat Narah. She is active in politics since 1996 through Youth Congress. |
| 43 | Ministry of Communications and Information Technology | Killi Kruparani | Is related to a senior congress leader, Botsa Satyanarayana. Authored a book "Hundred Year Saga of Nehru’s Family". Her sons have been charged in cases like Ragging and eve teasing. |
| 44 | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | A.H. Khan Choudhury | Brother of Gani Khan Choudhury. His niece Mausem Noor is also a member of parliament. Brother Abu Naser Khan is also an influential local Congress leader. |
| 45 | Ministry of Minority Affairs | Ninong Ering | His
father Daying Ering was a Union Minister in the Jawaharlal Nehru’s Cabinet. Had referred to Baba Ramdev as a "bloody Indian dog". |
| 46 | Ministry of Urban Development | Deepa Dasmunsi | Wife
of Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi. A theatre personality, was not allowed entry in the ministry till Mamta was strong within UPA. |
| 47 | Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment | Porika Balram Naik | His son Porika Sai Shankar is also in Politics. Has been part of the
youth congress. |
| 48 | Ministry of Rural Development | Lalchand Kataria | Kataria
is the son of former MLA from Amber on the outskirts of Jaipur, Ram Pratap
Kataria. He has also been charged for shielding the accused in a murder case . |
Please feel free to point out any mistakes, it will be corrected at the earliest. The intention is merely to make a point and not to tarnish anybody.
Let us make democracy really inclusive by removing barriers for the common man to join politics.
