In Punjab civic polls, it's family first for SAD, BJP

HOSHIARPUR/GARSHANKAR/MOGA: It seems that when it comes to promoting their kin in politics BJP is not far behind its ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal, with many from the ruling Badal clan on prominent posts. This trend in the saffron party in Punjab is surprisingly on the rise at time when PM Narendra Modi has ruled out any space for dynasty politics.
As Punjab prepares to go for its first polls after the NDA coming to power at the Centre, the last leg of the civic polls shows that both MPs and MLAs of BJP and SAD are throwing their weight behind their kin in the civic polls.
While Akali Dal has one MLA, whose son is contesting the corporation polls, BJP has two MLAs and an MP whose family members are fighting the civic elections.
In Moga, sitting MLA Joginderpal Jain has fielded his 26-year-old son Akshit Jain, and is pitching for him as mayor, if he is elected.
In Hoshiarpur, senior BJP member and Punjab CM's political adviser Tikshan Sood's wife Rakesh Sood has already won her seat after the opposition candidate withdrew her candidature. Sood debunks that there is any nepotism in the saffron party and insists that his wife jumped into fray as she was social activist.
Not too far away, another BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Avinash Rai Khanna has pushed his brother Lovely to contest the municipal committee polls in Garshankar, slated for February 25.
Notwithstanding the attack on his brother, Punjab BJP minister Anil Joshi, too, is fielding his brother and sitting councillor Raja in the family turf of Tarn Taran.
In Dasuya, sitting BJP MLA Sukhjit Kaur Shahi's son Dr Harsimrat Shahi has taken the plunge into politics.
The Congress leaders, who have often faced criticism over dynastic politics, are tightlipped about the new trend of nepotism in the saffron party.