Question

Analyse how the issue of leadership succession poses a challenge to political parties in India.

Answer 1

1. Most political parties do not practise open and transparent procedures for their functioning. So there are very few ways for an ordinary worker to rise to the top in a party.
2. Those who happen to be the leaders are in a position of unfair advantage, as they favour people close to them or even their family members.
3. In many parties in India, we see a trend of dynastic succession. The top positions are always controlled by members of a particular family, which is unfair to other members of the party and bad for democracy.
4. This is so because people who do not have adequate experience or popular support come to occupy positions of power. 
5. More than loyalty to party principles and policies, personal loyalty to the leader becomes more important. This tendency is seen all over the world, even in older democracies.