India, April 10 -- At a time when there is supposed to be a national debate on "parivarvaad", Karnataka's political parties have been unanimous in putting family first. It is not just the usual suspects of the Janata Dal (Secular) or the Congress that have followed this path, but also the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Karnataka's politicians have already used the run-up to the 2024 general elections to prove that the family remains the dominant force of Indian politics and cannot be brushed aside even by a ruling party that has led the rhetoric against family rule.

The immediate compulsions to return to the family differ across political parties. The BJP had used the 2023 assembly elections to project its cadre and supporters of hardline...