Young leaders' message at Mind Rocks 2017: Pray to be born in political family or become a star to join politics

Ever since Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi gave his speech at Berkeley in United States, dynasty in politics has once again become the hot topic of debate. The most frequently asked question is this: Is it possible to enter politics and contest elections without a political family background?

At India Today Mind Rocks 2017 event at the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi today young leaders from two national parties and a powerful state party struggled to answer the question in front of young audience.

The message from their discussion was this: If you want to get into politics then pray to God that you are born in a family of politicians or strive hard to become a star performer in the fields of acting, television, cricket or any other popular sphere.

The three participants were Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwary, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and BJD leader Kalikesh Singh Deo.

While Manoj Tiwary hit out at the Congress party for the flourishing culture of dynasty politics, Gaurav Gogoi and Kalikesh Singh Deo defended it saying that people vote for proven performers only. Manoj Tiwary too concurred that people vote only on the basis of performance. But, then the three leaders also agreed that coming from a political family makes it easy for a person to enter politics easier than others. Gaurav Gogoi is the son of former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi while Kalikesh Singh Deo is the third generation politician from his family - his grandfather was also an MP.

"If you are from non-political background, you can enter politics by becoming an accomplished actor like Manoj Tiwary, a star cricketer like (Navjot Singh) Sidhu or Sachin Tendulakar or a TV personality like Smriti Irani. If you become famous and popular by doing whatever in whichever field of your expertise, you can enter politics," Kalikesh Singh Deo said.

TIWARY, GOGOI AND DEO AT MIND ROCKS: WHAT THEY SAID Manoj Tiwary said, "As a student, I did driving as part-time job during my days at the Kashi Hindu Vishwavidyalaya in Varanasi. Then I became a singer and actor. No one has been in politics from my family. Not even a pradhan. I am fortunate that Narendra Modi chose me to contest election," adding, "It is true that no one can survive in politics without working on the ground." BJD MP from Deo Balangir in Odisha, Kalikesh Singh Deo said, "Politics is a profession where you will be selected on the basis of merit. Naveen Patnaik (whose father Biju Patnaik was a mass leader in Odisha) has won it four times. Are people fool enough to choose the same person if he does not deliver?" Gaurav Gogoi said, "A Lok Sabha constituency usually has a population of 12-15 lakh. It is not possible for a person to know all of them and it is also not possible for them to know a new one entering politics. A new leader needs to have an identity. Coming from political family helps initially. After that it is the hard work that matters."