Symbolic Contest

The opposition fails to put up a show of unity ahead of the presidential election, while the BJP attempts to foil the criticism about its uppercaste preferences by choosing a Dalit candidate. 

- Purnima S. Tripathi

WITH the surprising selection of Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind as the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) nominee for the presidential election, the stage is set for a fresh round of identity politics on a larger than-usual canvas. The opposition camp, taken aback by the choice, scrambled to find its own Dalit nominee and settled on Meira Kumar, former Lok Sabha Speaker. The NDA candidate clearly enjoys a definite advantage over the opposition nominee, having over 60 per cent of the votes in his favour.

Asked why she was contesting a “losing battle”, Meira Kumar said it was a matter of ideology for her: “Because I believe in the ideology of the freedom of the press, an inclusive society, abolition of the caste system, transparency, and removal of poverty.”

She said she was pained to see the discourse on the presidential election focussing on the two candidates’ caste just because it was “one Dalit against another Dalit”. She said this reflected how society thought and functioned. “In the previous presidential elections, when so-called upper-caste candidates contested, the debate was always about their capabilities, achievements and performance. Unfortunately, when there are two Dalits in the fray, everything else has become secondary. I feel it is time we destroyed the caste system and buried it deep inside the ground,” she said.

Meira Kumar will start her campaign from Sabarmati as “Sabarmati gives tremendous strength to fight against injustice”. She said she had written to all the members of the electoral college, urging them to listen to their “inner voice of conscience” because in this battle of ideologies they had an incredible moment to create history.

PARTY POLITICS