For years, the bharatiya janata party (BJP) has mocked the Gandhis and other opposition dynasties, branding itself as a party built on merit. narendra Modi’s speeches have consistently painted the congress as a “parivarvaadi” (family-ruled) party.
Yet, beneath this moral posturing lies an uncomfortable truth: BJP’s own leaders’ children have risen to power, money, and influence at breakneck speed, not by merit, but by bloodline.
This isn’t politics of change. It’s dynasty politics in saffron.
1. Jay Shah – The Fastest Rise in Cricketing History
Timeline:
• 2015: Treasurer of gujarat cricket Association (when his father was Gujarat’s most powerful politician).
• 2019: Secretary of bcci (the richest cricket board in the world).
• 2021: Chairman of the Asian cricket Council (ACC).
• 2023: Elevated to ICC Chairman, making him one of the most powerful figures in global cricket.
Financial & Power Links:
BCCI’s revenues crossed ₹16,000 crore during Jay Shah’s tenure, thanks to the billion-dollar IPL broadcasting deals.
His ascent was not through years of cricket administration but through amit Shah’s political muscle.
Irony? bjp leaders routinely accuse congress of filling cricket boards with “dynasts.”
2. Shaurya Doval – The Billion-Dollar Asset Manager
Timeline:
Son of NSA Ajit Doval, India’s most powerful unelected security figure.
Runs Torch Investment Management, a fund registered in india and abroad.
• 2022: Torch reportedly crossed $1 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM) during Modi’s second term.
Financial Links:
Torch invests in defence, energy, and infrastructure sectors — precisely the areas where Ajit Doval, as NSA, has enormous influence.
Conflict of interest? Never investigated.
3. dhruv jaishankar – From Diplomatic Legacy to Think Tank Power
Timeline:
Son of External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar.
Became Executive director of ORF America (Observer Research Foundation), a Reliance-backed think tank.
Corporate Links:
ORF is funded by reliance Industries, whose fortunes have soared during Modi’s tenure.
Reliance’s global lobbying benefits from a jaishankar heir heading its American policy arm.
4. prem Kumar Dhumal’s Sons – politics + IPL
Timeline:
prem Kumar Dhumal, former himachal pradesh CM, built a family empire.
Son 1: Anurag Thakur, now a Union Minister for sports & Information Broadcasting.
Son 2: Arun Dhumal became Chairman of IPL in 2022.
Financial Links:
IPL is a multibillion-dollar entity (₹48,390 crore in media rights, 2023).
Anurag Thakur’s influence in politics + Arun Dhumal’s IPL chairmanship = political-corporate sports dynasty.
5. Rohan Jaitley – Unopposed in DDCA
Timeline:
arun jaitley, BJP’s top strategist, controlled the delhi & district cricket Association (DDCA) for decades.
After his death, his son Rohan Jaitley — a practising lawyer — was elected DDCA President unopposed in 2020, and continues to hold the position.
Pattern:
DDCA elections are infamous for backroom deals and patronage.
His “smooth entry” into the same office as his father shows how dynasties lock institutions in a family grip.
6. Nikhil Gadkari – The Ethanol Jackpot
Timeline:
Nitin Gadkari, minister of Road Transport, is the chief architect of India’s E20 ethanol blending mandate.
• 2021–22: Nikhil Gadkari’s ethanol firm reported ₹17 crore in revenue.
• 2023–24: Revenue shot up to ₹510 crore — a 30x jump in one year, coinciding with the government’s ethanol policy.
Financial Links:
India’s ethanol blending program guarantees a minimum offtake and government-set prices for suppliers.
Nikhil Gadkari’s firm directly benefited from a policy his father championed. Conflict of interest? Brushed aside.
7. The media Double Standard
If this were UPA, Headlines would scream “Scam!” for weeks. CBI, ED, and Income Tax raids would be demanded.
Under the bjp, the media, particularly outlets like ANI, sanitizes dynastic privilege as “natural growth.”Critical journalists asking questions are branded “anti-national.”
🚨 The Hypocrisy Laid Bare
The BJP’s core message has been “Congress = Parivarvaad (dynasty), bjp = Merit.”
Yet the facts show:
• Jay Shah rules cricket.
• Shaurya Doval manages billion-dollar funds.
• Dhruv jaishankar steers global lobbying.
• Dhumal’s sons thrive in politics and IPL.
• Rohan Jaitley inherits DDCA.
• Nikhil Gadkari cashes in on ethanol.
• The party that demonizes nepotism is quietly entrenching its own dynasties. The only difference? The saffron spin machine sells it as meritocracy.
👉 Bottomline: bjp hasn’t killed dynasty politics. It has simply repainted it in saffron, weaponized it against rivals, and fooled the public into applauding the very same system it vowed to destroy.
click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel