PrintFriendlyService Over Surname: A Democratic Leadership Model, Dismantling Dynastic Chains
Bharat democracy, though constitutionally robust, has long struggled under the invisible weight of dynastic politics. Parties across the spectrum — national and regional — have often reduced political leadership to a matter of bloodline, treating political power as a family inheritance. Against this backdrop, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shines as a beacon of hope.
A True Party of Workers, Not a Family Firm
BJP is not a dynasty. It is not a corporate family firm. It is a genuine people’s movement — a party where an ordinary worker, a monk, a farmer’s son, or a youth activist can rise to the highest offices purely through commitment, hard work, and loyalty to ideology. This is not a slogan. This is a living reality — visible today across BJP-ruled states, where Chief Ministers without any political lineage have risen through sheer merit and dedication. In doing so, the BJP is not just winning elections; it is renewing faith in Indian democracy.
Curse of Dynastic Politics: Dynasties Turned Democracy Into Oligarchy
Since the 1970s, dynasty politics became a norm in India. Leadership within many parties passed seamlessly from parent to child, often without any regard for merit or public service.
- National parties became family estates.
- Regional outfits became personal businesses.
- Tickets, posts, and promotions were decided at dinner tables, not in party meetings.
This practice alienated ordinary citizens, particularly young Indians without political connections. It weakened the moral foundation of democracy, substituting equal opportunity with privilege and entitlement.
The BJP’s Different DNA: Where Workers, Monks, and Dreamers Rise — Not Dynasties”
The BJP, emerging from the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and nourished by the ideological streams of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), emphasized organizational strength over individual glory. From the beginning:
- Emphasis was placed on the “worker” — the karyakarta.
- Leaders rose from grassroots mobilization, ideological training camps, and years of service.
- Personal loyalty was to the organization and ideology, not to a family name.
BJP’s Culture: Organization Above Individuals
This worker-first culture ensured that no individual became bigger than the party. It created a deep talent pool of committed leaders who had tested their mettle in electoral battles, organizational work, and public service. Today, it is this culture that is bearing fruit across BJP-ruled states, where leaders with humble beginnings are being entrusted with Chief Ministerships and other top responsibilities. The BJP does not serve families. It serves the nation. And in doing so, it has kept Indian democracy alive and dynamic.
From Karyakarta to Chief Minister: Strengthening Bharat Democracy
At a time when many feared Indian democracy was turning into a feudal order of political dynasties, the BJP has shown the way back to true democratic spirit. The rise of Rekha Gupta, Bhajan Lal Sharma, Mohan Yadav, Devendra Fadnavis, Biplab Deb, Nayab Saini,Yogi Aditya Nath, Manohar Lal Khatter and Pushkar Singh Dhami sends a powerful message across India: Politics is not a family business. It is a service to the nation. The BJP’s model is not just a political strategy; it is a civilizational statement — that India’s destiny will be decided by merit, dedication, and patriotism, not inheritance. Across the nation, BJP’s commitment to promoting grassroots workers is evident. Here are just a few shining examples:
Yogi Adityanath: The Monk Who Became Chief Minister
Perhaps no story better captures BJP’s unique model than that of Yogi Adityanath, the dynamic Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. As Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath governs India’s largest state with an iron will, driving infrastructure, law and order, and economic reforms. Yogi Adityanath’s rise proves that in BJP, even a monk, with no dynastic crutches, can lead 240 million people — if he has the strength of vision and the service of the people in his heart.
Manohar Lal Khattar: The RSS Organizer Who Became CM
Manohar Lal Khattar’s story is a textbook case of BJP’s commitment to grassroots workers.
- A long-time RSS pracharak (full-time worker),
- Lived a life of discipline, service, and ideological rigor,
- No family connections in politics, no privileged entry point.
Yet, through loyalty, hard work, and administrative competence, he was entrusted with leading Haryana — and successfully became its first-ever BJP Chief Minister. Khattar’s rise shows that in BJP, commitment to the cause outweighs caste, wealth, or dynasty.
Nayab Saini: Haryana’s True Son of the Soil
Without family wealth or caste privilege, Nayab Saini’s elevation as Haryana’s Chief Minister reinforces BJP’s resolve to empower workers based on service, not status. He represents the self-made leadership model the BJP seeks to institutionalize across India. Nayab Saini’s selection as Haryana’s Chief Minister reflects the BJP’s deepening commitment to organizational merit. Hailing from an OBC background, Saini did not have any elite status or financial muscle. What he had was years of public service and steadfast devotion to the organization. His appointment proved that the BJP does not base its leadership on caste, wealth, or lineage. Delivery, service, and discipline do.
Biplab Deb: The Revolutionary from East
In Tripura, a tiny but politically significant state, Biplab Deb achieved what many thought impossible: defeating the entrenched Communist regime after decades. Deb was no dynast; he was a worker — an simple RSS volunteer, a loyal BJP soldier, led a revolution that ended 25 years of Left rule. His victory was powered by years of silent, grassroots organizing rather than high-profile rallies or elite endorsements. As Chief Minister, he symbolized a people’s revolution, embodying BJP’s ethos that true political leadership must emerge from the people themselves.
His leadership demonstrated that in BJP, the son of ordinary India can change history — if backed by conviction and hard work. What he had was unwavering loyalty to the organization and years of service to the public. His appointment demonstrated that caste, money, and dynasty do not determine leadership in the BJP. Service, discipline, and delivery do. In June 2018, the State Government of Tripura under Deb presented its first state budget, which was a ‘deficit free budget’. In January 2019, the 15th Finance Commission, acknowledged the effective measures taken by the government during its first year in office & fully shared the vision to make Tripura a model state.
Rekha Gupta: A Symbol of Youth Empowerment
Beginning her political journey through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Delhi, Rekha Gupta rose through relentless grassroots work. She did not inherit a political dynasty. She built her own journey through sweat, discipline, and ideological commitment. Today, as a senior leader in Delhi BJP, Gupta’s journey offers a message to young Indians: In BJP, you rise by merit, not by surname.
Bhajan Lal Sharma: The Humble Chief Minister of Rajasthan
When Bhajan Lal Sharma was appointed Rajasthan’s Chief Minister, political commentators were stunned. Yet to BJP workers, it was a natural choice. Sharma’s decades of service, his clean reputation, and his deep connection to the grassroots made him the ideal leader. No godfathers. No PR blitzes. No dynastic entitlement. Only hard-earned trust.
Mohan Yadav: The Grassroots Giant of Madhya Pradesh
Mohan Yadav’s rise to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister embodies the BJP ethos. A low-profile worker, a disciplined organizer, and a committed nationalist, Yadav built his career over decades without demanding the limelight. His selection shows that in BJP, results speak louder than surnames.
Devendra Fadnavis: The Architect of New Maharashtra
From Nagpur’s municipal councils to Maharashtra’s Chief Minister’s office, Devendra Fadnavis’s journey is a blueprint for political success based purely on merit. Despite Maharashtra’s entrenched dynasties, Fadnavis — the son of a middle-class family — became CM through sheer competence, clean governance, and strategic brilliance.
Pushkar Singh Dhami: Youthful Energy for New Uttarakhand
Pushkar Singh Dhami’s ascent — from ABVP activist to two-term Chief Minister — reflects the BJP’s commitment to infusing young, dynamic leadership grounded in ideology. Dhami’s story inspires young Indians that age and background are no barriers to political success — only performance and dedication matter.
BJP’s Worker-First Culture vs Dynasty-First Culture
The contrast between the BJP and other parties could not be sharper. BJP’s model builds democracy. Dynasty politics erodes it.
| BJP | Dynasty Parties |
| Leadership earned through work | Leadership inherited by bloodline |
| Party above individuals | Family above party |
| Talent nurtured at grassroots | Talent crushed under favoritism |
| Open pathways for youth | Entry barred for outsiders |
Leadership Based on Merit, Not Lineage
By promoting leaders based on performance and organizational service rather than lineage, the BJP is correcting a deep flaw that plagued Indian politics for decades. In doing so, it strengthens democracy’s foundations by:
- Reassuring the youth that politics is not closed to them.
- Bringing real-life experiences into policymaking.
- Ensuring that leaders remain grounded and connected with the people.
- Preventing monopolization of power by political families.
A Message to Aspiring Indians: Building a Stronger, Fairer Bharat
Millions of Indians, especially from humble backgrounds, find inspiration in these stories. BJP’s model tells them:
- You don’t need to be born in a palace to lead.
- You don’t need millions in funding to contest.
- If you work with sincerity, discipline, and patriotism, you can rise.
A Vision for the Future: Meritocracy, not Monarchy- BJP’s Quiet Revolution in Bharat’s Politics
BJP’s model is a quiet but profound revolution:
- A farmer’s son or chaiwala can become Prime Minister.
- A monk can become Chief Minister.
- An RSS pracharak can govern a state.
- A student activist can become a national leader.
In the next decade, as India aspires to become a $10 trillion economy and a global leader, we need precisely this model of meritocracy over monarchy, service over status. The BJP is building that India — and it is doing so brick by brick, worker by worker, dream by dream. Ultimately, the BJP’s approach is about building a better, fairer, more aspirational India where:
- Talent is respected over inheritance.
- Public service is valued over privilege.
- Democracy is practiced, not just preached.
By democratizing leadership opportunities, BJP strengthens the very idea of India — a republic that stands for “opportunity for all, privilege for none.” In the BJP, the son or daughter of a tea-seller, a farmer, a clerk, or a laborer can dream — and achieve — the highest offices in the land.
That is not just good politics.
That is the real spirit and robustness of Bharat’s democracy.
Author
(The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the position of the organisation)