The State, networks and family raj in Goa

Abstract

Goa achieved statehood in 1987. While from 1963 to 1989 there were only two legislators with 'dynastic ties', since 1990, there have been 23 political families contesting elections, with 10 dynastic candidates voted to the assembly. How might we understand the rise of 'family raj' in Goa’s politics? What does Goa teach us about the relationship between economy and politics? This article analyses Goa’s changing political economy and argues that apart from 'increasing financial returns associated with state power', it is the 'networked' contexts of these families that catapult them and sustain their growth. Two important political families and their particular networks are discussed to show how family raj is weaved in a wider network of power and money.