Despite democracy’s principle of equality, dynastic politics remains deeply entrenched in India
21% of legislators — roughly 1 in 5 — come from political families.
The Lok Sabha has the highest share at 31%, while state assemblies have 20%.
India, the world’s largest democracy, is based on the principle of equality, where every citizen should have the opportunity to contest and represent the people. Yet, Indian politics has long been dominated by dynastic trends, with political power often concentrated within families and passed from one generation to another. This practice began soon after independence with the Congress party and was later adopted by several other political parties.
While dynastic politics offers continuity and stability, it raises concerns about meritocracy, fairness, and equal opportunity. Ordinary citizens often lack the same access as political families. Today, dynastic politics is deeply embedded in India’s multiparty democracy, shaping leadership at every level while challenging the core ideals of equality in representation.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)—a non-partisan, apolitical nonprofit organisation in India, working on electoral and political reforms—and National Election Watch (NEW) have collected data to study dynastic politics in India. They analyzed sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs), and Members of Legislative Councils (MLCs). Out of a total of 5,204 sitting legislators across Parliament and State Assemblies, 1,107 (21%) were found to come from political families. This means nearly one in five lawmakers in India has a dynastic background.
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The report presented several statistics on dynastic politics, analyzing MPs, MLAs, and MLCs across India. It revealed that the Lok Sabha has the highest percentage of dynastic representatives at 31%, while state assemblies recorded the lowest at 20%.
In terms of state-wise data, Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 23% dynastic candidates, followed by Rajasthan at 18%. Southern states showed even higher rates, with Karnataka at 29% and Andhra Pradesh at 34%. In the East and Northeast, Bihar recorded 27%, while Assam had the lowest at 9%.
Looking at absolute numbers, Uttar Pradesh led with 141 dynastic politicians out of 604 (23%), followed by Maharashtra with 129 (32%) out of 403, Bihar with 96 (27%) out of 360, and Karnataka with 94 (29%) out of 326. Among larger states, Andhra Pradesh had the highest proportion at 34% (86 out of 255), followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka. According to ADR, these figures highlight the widespread prevalence of dynastic politics, particularly in politically significant states.
The data also showed stark differences when analyzed by gender. Female legislators had a much higher dynastic rate (47%) compared to males (18%). In most states, women representatives were far more likely to come from political families. For example, dynastic representation among women was 69% in Maharashtra (vs. 28% for men), 69% in Andhra Pradesh (vs. 29% for men), 57% in Bihar (vs. 22% for men), and 64% in Telangana (vs. 21% for men). States and UTs with 100% dynastic representation among women included Goa (3 out of 3), Puducherry (1 out of 1), and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (1 out of 1).
The highest numbers of dynastic women were recorded in Uttar Pradesh with 29 out of 69 (42%), Maharashtra with 27 out of 39 (69%), Bihar with 25 out of 44 (57%), and Andhra Pradesh with 20 out of 29 (69%). In contrast, West Bengal showed the lowest dynastic rates among women (28%) and men (5%), indicating less family-driven politics in the state.
Broadly, women make up only 10% of all MPs, MLAs, and MLCs analyzed. The disproportionately high dynastic share among them underscores persistent inequalities in political access, where family connections often remain the primary entry point into politics for women. [Rh/VP]
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