'Bahus' and 'Betis' trying their luck in Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections

In a democracy, political dynasties are commonly heard of. Earlier, sons had the monopoly over taking forward the family's political legacy but nowadays trends is changing slowly but surely.But recently, also with sons putting on the armour to fight the elections, politicians and family members are now bestowing that on honor on their daughter and daughter in laws too.Now daughters and daughter-in-laws are also coming forward to take the mantle of their families.Maharashtra and Haryana are going to polls on October 15 and these two states have got many daughters and daughter-in-laws who are in the electoral battlefield this time.Some of these ‘mardanis' are carrying forward the legacies of their fathers while some others are presenting themselves as the heir apparent of their father-in-laws.Here goes the list of such daughters and daughter-in-laws who have jumped in the electoral fray in Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections:Nayna ChautalaIf you are familiar with Haryana politics, you would not expect a woman from the Chautala family participating in it. Times have changed. This is the first time this family has selected a woman to contest elections.She is confident of doing well in the polls as she has full support from the party workers. She is contesting from Dabwali Assembly constituency on INLD ticket. She is the first daughter-in-law from former Deputy PM Chowdhury Devilal's family to contest elections. She is the daughter in law of Haryana's former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. She is married to Ajay Singh Chautala, who is currently behind bars along with Om Prakash Chautala after being convicted in Teacher's recruitment scam..Nayna is the mother of Hissar's MP Dushyant Chautala.Nayna has got no other influence in politics other than her family connections. Even the people of Dabwali say that they will support her because she represents Chautala family. She came into limelight when she campaigned for her son in 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. She led her son to victory and is now set to hoist her own flag on her husband's constituency.She happens to be the wife of two times former MP and three times MLA, and mother of one of the youngest MPs of the country, but till a week ago Naina Singh Chautala was a demure wife and a doting mother, looking after the house.Despite almost all her family members being noted political leaders, she steadfastly stayed away from politics. But now Naina finds herself in the middle of a political battle, where she has been tasked to fill the vacuum in the absence of her incarcerated husband Ajay Singh Chautala. In its 62 years of politics, beginning with Chaudhary Devi Lal, former Dy PM, the Chautala family has never fielded a woman candidate.But the "compelling" and "unfortunate" circumstances of the family have forced a change in the family script.Renuka BishnoiBhajan Lal's daughter in law has been in the political fray for the past three years. She is sharp and quick. Her attitude displays her aptitude for politics.Promoting the family politics, Haryana Janhit Congress supremo and MP from Hisar, Kuldeep Bishnoi has fielded his wife Renuka Bishnoi (38) for Hisar Assembly constituency.The family has been winning the seat for the past 43 years. Kuldeep's father Bhajan Lal, who used to run a cloth shop in Adampur in the early 60s, had won his first assembly election from this constituency in 1968.Renuka Bishnoi has successfully struck a chord with her party supporters.In 2011, when Kuldeep had become MP, she had to step into the elections battle for the family. She contested the by-elections from Adampur constituency and emerged victorious.Kiran ChaudharyDaughter of a war veteran Brigadier Atma Singh from Kumaon Regiment of Indian Army, Kiran Choudhry, is a public spirited Congress leader from Haryana. She rose through the ranks of the party to become Minister for Excise, Taxation and Public Health and Engineering in her State.With nearly three decades of public life now behind her, she counts on the late Rajiv Gandhi the most for inspiring her to take a plunge into politics. This was way back in 1986 when she joined the women's wing of the party or All India Mahila Congress as a joint-secretary. Ever since she never looked back and successfully contested Delhi Assembly elections in 1998 from Delhi Cantonment. She was elected Deputy Speaker of the House unopposed. She held the post until the end of the term of the Assembly in 2003.But two years later she was struck by the tragic death of her husband, the late Surender Singh, in a helicopter crash. Son of the former Haryana Chief Minister and India's former Defence Minister ''Bansi Lal" and thus scion of State's main political family, Singh was Minister for Agriculture in Haryana in his own right at the time of his tragic end. Soon his mantle fell on her. She won from Tosham constituency and has since then served the land. She is yet recognized in Hayana as Bansilal's daughter in law.Shruti ChoudharyKiran also ensured a ticket for her daughter Shruti from the Congress party.At first practising as a lawyer, Choudhary turned to politics following the death of her father in 2005. Her grandfather made a rare symbolic gesture by putting a pagri (turban) — a traditionally male garment — on her head in front of mourners.She saw this as a turning-point in her life, after which she determined to serve the public as other members of her family had done. Choudhary was chosen by the Indian National Congress party to contest the 2009 Indian general election in the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency of the Lok Sabha.Mainly as a consequence of the goodwill that existed for her family in the area, she defeated her nearest rival, Ajay Singh Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal, by a margin of 55,097 votes. Her grandfather had previously won the same seat three times, and her father had done so twice.Pankaja MundeFive months after his death in an accident in Delhi, BJP leader Gopinath Munde's daughters are fighting to keep the family legacy intact in the home borough of Beed district.Sitting MLA and Munde's eldest daughter Pankaja Munde-Palwe is contesting the assembly elections from Parli-Vaijanath on a BJP ticket, while Preetam Munde-Khade is contesting the Beed Lok Sabha bypoll necessitated by the veteran leader's death.Pankaja, Gopinath Munde's political heir apparent, faces a stiff challenge from her cousin Dhananjay Munde, an NCP MLC. Dhananjay, who used to handle Gopinath Munde's campaign in Parli, turned against him during the 2009 elections.Pankaja Munde is the niece of late Pramod Mahajan and a cousin to Rahul Mahajan and Poonam Mahajan.She is state president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. On June 19, merely weeks after her father Gopinath Munde's death, Pankaja Munde was inducted into the core group of leaders in the BJP's Maharashtra state unit, in place of her father, indicating that the party was carving out a larger role for her. Pankaja performed the funeral rites of her father, a task that is traditionally carried out by a male member of the family, giving out a clear signal that she was prepared to carry forward what he left behind.Pritam MundePritam is Pankaja's younger sister. She is the BJP candidate in by-poll to the Lok Sabha constituency, vacated by her deceased father. She is a lawer by profession and has entered the political fray as Pankaja declined to contest her father's seat and decided to continue contesting her own MLA's seat.Praniti ShindePraniti Shinde is an MLA of Solapur, Maharashtra. She is one of the three daughters of former Mahashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, the veteran Congress leader.After graduating in politics and economics from Mumbai's St. Xavier's College, Praniti Shinde (28) obtained a degree in law. Subsequently, she founded Jai-Jui, an NGO that works with women and youth in Solapur, her father's constituency.She is contesting from the Solapur City Central constituency. She has identified the issues of workers in handlooms, powerlooms and beedi factories as her priorities. Her father Sushil Kumar Shinde always encouraged her to enter politics.