Jaipur, Oct. 20 -- The BJP and Congress have given more than a dozen tickets to relatives of ministers, legislators, former MPs and party functionaries in Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj elections, raising questions about opportunities for grassroots workers. Wives, sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of political leaders are contesting elections to district and block-level bodies across several districts. In Sikar, urban development and housing minister Jhabar Singh Kharra's wife Shanti Devi and younger son Ajay Singh Kharra have filed nominations on BJP tickets from Srimadhopur Panchayat Samiti. His elder son, Durga Singh Kharra, is contesting independently, citing discontent among party workers with the local BJP leadership. Responding to Durga's decision to contest independently, BJP state president Madan Rathore said, "The party did not practise dynastic politics and that individuals had the right to make their own electoral choices." Similarly, Congress tickets have gone to Vikas Bamniya, son of MLA Arjun Singh Bamniya, and Rohit Khariya, son of Kushalgarh MLA Ramila Khariya in Banswara. The selections came despite state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra having urged leaders at a party meeting to avoid favouring relatives. Swarnim Chaturvedi, general secretary and media chairperson of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee, said, "All tickets were given to candidates whose names were on the panels, which were finalised after considering views of party workers." Veteran journalist Rajan Mahan told HT, "Far from becoming more open to giving talented youngsters a chance, parties seem to be getting more brazen in making choices based on nepotism." "The success of a large number of independents in the recent civic elections had raised expectations that grassroots workers would receive greater consideration in the distribution of panchayat poll tickets. However, the continued prominence of influential political families in candidate selection raises questions about whether either party has learnt from the civic poll results," he said....