Since India’s independence, the Patil dynasty of Sangli, spearheaded by the late Congress leader Vasantdada Patil, has ruled the local political landscape with an iron grip. For over three decades, this powerful family has held the Sangli Lok Sabha seat, seen its members grace the state assembly, legislative council, cabinet, and even the Union cabinet. Vasantdada himself rose to the heights of Chief Minister and Governor of Rajasthan. Yet, despite wielding almost every political accolade short of Prime Minister, resentment brews within the family.
The latest storm? Congress denying Jayshree Patil a state assembly ticket, leading her to rebel against the party and challenge its candidate, Prithviraj Patil, son of former Congress MP Gulabrao Patil. The echoes of dissent were already felt in 2024 when Vasantdada’s grandson broke ranks, contested as an independent, and seized the Lok Sabha seat.
But the Patils are far from alone in their quest to cement political power within bloodlines. Maharashtra’s political theatre is dominated by no fewer than 30 entrenched dynasties, each weaving their influence from village panchayats to Parliament’s hallowed halls. These families have cultivated a network of loyal satraps, eager to build their own local empires. “These dynasties have entrenched themselves not just in politics but in cooperatives, education, business, and industry. To safeguard their power, they change allegiances as it suits them,” notes political observer Ashok Ghorpade.
Legacy and lineage
Take the Vikhe-Patil family in Ahmednagar: since 1948, it has reigned supreme, shifting seamlessly between the Congress, Shiv Sena, and BJP. The political landscape changed dramatically in 2014 when the BJP took power at the centre. Many dynasties, once basking in Congress’s favour, swiftly jumped ship. Among them were former Chief Ministers Narayan Rane from Konkan, Ashok Chavan from Nanded, and Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil.
The late Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushilkumar Shinde followed a similar dynasty playbook, priming their children for political succession. Meanwhile, the Pawar dynasty has lorded over Baramati and Pune district for generations, with the forth generation now stepping into the fray.
The BJP and Shiv Sena, too, are steeped in legacy politics. The Thackeray scions, Uddhav and Raj, have ushered their sons into the electoral battlefield, while the Munde, Khadse, and Fadnavis families have carved out their own legacies.
Power within families
“Look at the candidates contesting this assembly election, and you’ll find it’s a parade of dynastic heirs. We vote for them generation after generation, as they control every aspect of our lives—from the banks we rely on to the irrigation systems that sustain us,” laments Hari Patil, a farmer.
Women’s reservation seats offer no respite from this cycle. Political dynasties ensure that power stays within the family, nominating wives, daughters, and sisters to secure their influence. Supporters loyal to these dynasties are strategically placed on SC and ST reserved seats, blocking outsiders. “For those without a family name, breaking into politics is nearly impossible. These dynasties don’t relinquish their thrones,” says Sayaji Mane from Sangli, whose dreams of political success were crushed before they even began.
No matter which party emerges victorious in this assembly election, the faces in Maharashtra’s state assembly will remain strikingly familiar. The script is written, and the actors—bound by blood—take the stage, as the legacy of power continues.