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Leadership disputes in PMK, INLD, SP, RJD, and BRS show how family-run parties like Dr. S. Ramadoss’s PMK face bitter internal power struggles during succession
Lalu accused Tej Pratap of defying family values, while Mulayam later reinstated Akhilesh Yadav. (News18 Hindi/File)
Regional family-run parties have shaped Indian politics for decades, but experts note that leadership transitions within these dynasties often trigger bitter internal power struggles.
A notable incident occurred in Tamil Nadu on Thursday when Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder Dr. S. Ramadoss expelled his son and former Union Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss from the party, stripping him of all party posts and primary membership. However, Anbumani Ramadoss’s supporters claimed that the party remains under their control and argued that Ramadoss has no authority to expel him. The dispute within PMK revolves around control of the party.
Earlier in December 2024, Ramadoss handed over the leadership of the party’s youth unit to his grandson (daughter’s son) P. Mukundan, which reportedly angered Anbumani. Despite Anbumani’s expulsion, experts suggest that most of the party’s leaders and workers support him.
Such familial discord is not unique to PMK. Similar conflicts have been witnessed in other regional family parties.
INLD’s Legacy And Om Prakash Chautala
In Haryana, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Om Prakash Chautala expelled his son Abhay Singh Chautala and grandson Dushyant Chautala from the party in 2018 over leadership and property disputes. Dushyant subsequently formed the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which weakened INLD in the 2019 assembly elections and gained prominence by allying with the BJP.
Mulayam vs Akhilesh: 2016 Rift
In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled his son Akhilesh Yadav in 2016 due to organisational control issues and the influence of Shivpal Yadav. Akhilesh later took over the party leadership and contested the 2017 elections, though he faced defeat. Mulayam Singh Yadav eventually reinstated Akhilesh.
Tej Pratap Shown The Door
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar saw founder Lalu Prasad Yadav expelling his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav for six years on May 25, 2025, following a controversial social media post. Tej Pratap claimed to have a relationship with a young woman, Anushka Yadav. His marriage to Aishwarya Rai had ended just months after their 2018 wedding. Lalu accused Tej Pratap of irresponsible behaviour that contradicted the family’s values.
KCR Suspends Daughter Kavitha
In Telangana, Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) suspended his daughter and Legislative Council member K. Kavitha from the party on September 2. Kavitha had accused her cousins, former minister T. Harish Rao and former MP J. Santosh Kumar, of corruption. According to some experts Kavitha’s expulsion stemmed from a leadership dispute within the party. Despite her expulsion, Kavitha maintained that she had never acted against Telangana’s interests and blamed the selfishness of certain leaders for the schism within the party and the family.
September 12, 2025, 17:25 IST
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