What does familism mean to the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Gandhi family and the Mulayam family? Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said that for the BJP, patriarchy means only her family. The BJP itself is promoting the rest of the family members. In the special context of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family is also on target because the BJP is facing real competition from Samajwadi Party. That’s why from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to BJP leaders are constantly targeting the SP. The Prime Minister had said without naming that more than 40 members of a family were in one or the other post. He has continuously appealed to defeat the familyists, mafiaists.
In the context of Uttar Pradesh, the Mulayam family may be the target of the BJP, but at the all India level, its target is the Gandhi family. Maneka and Varun Gandhi are facing collateral damage for campaigning by targeting the Gandhi family. Both are BJP MPs but this time BJP did not include them in the campaign. Prime Minister Modi removed Maneka from the cabinet and did not give place to Varun. Even both of them did not get a place in the national executive of the party. Congress leaders believe that Maneka and Varun Gandhi have been treated like this because the prime minister had to launch a massive attack on the ‘familywadis’ in the Uttar Pradesh elections and the BJP had to contest on this issue. Both Maneka and Varun Gandhi are understanding this and after March 10 they will also decide the future strategy.
