President Ram Nath Kovind

After KR Narayanan, India will have its second Dalit President in Ram Nath Kovind (71). The outcome of the electoral exercise was known well in advance and political interest was limited only to the margin of victory. It may be inappropriate to mention the caste of a President but politics has sunk so low that more than merit, qualifications, stature or suitability political decisions are guided by such extraneous factors as caste. Given the general acceptability of caste politics in the country, it did not surprise or shock too many people to see the Presidential poll being reduced to a “Dalit-vs-Dalit contest”, even though the Opposition and its representative, Meira Kumar, tried to make it look like “a battle of ideologies”. 

Political decisions of the BJP — be it the choice of Kovind as the Presidential candidate or Yogi Adityanath as the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister — are taken with an eye on 2019. Kovind’s choice was an attempt to contain the anti-BJP Dalit upsurge in places like Hyderabad, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Dalit politics apart, as President, Ram Nath Kovind will be measured against the standards set by one of his worthy predecessors, KR Narayanan, who he will often be compared with. Since political expediency has landed Kovind the high office, every Presidential decision would be judged by the yardstick of political neutrality. 

Though the President’s is mostly a ceremonial office, at times of political uncertainty during government formation or recommendations for President’s rule, Rashtrapati Bhavan plays a significant role. Any hint of political bias at such critical moments would be held against him. The nation will keenly watch how he graduates out of his political affiliations. Kovind was living in political obscurity and Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have put him on the national centre stage; indeed most Presidential candidates belong to a political party. The outgoing President, Pranab Mukherjee, was a life-long active Congressman till his election. In keeping with the demands of the august office Kovind will now have to rise above the pulls and pressures of the political class and emerge as a true Head of State.