NDA's Dalit presedential choice leaves Congress in a fix

BENGALURU: The NDA decision to announce a Dalit as its presidential nominee has put the Congress party in a fix, particularly because of the high political stakes that this decision carries in election-bound Karnataka.

"It is strategically and politically a very good move," Dalit activist and analyst Indudhar Honnapura told ET. "It will comprehensively counter the BJP's anti-Dalit image. In Karnataka and other election bound states, Dalits may lean towards them because of this move," he added.

Congress insiders admit that that their party is in a big dilemma as it will be very difficult for them to oppose a Dalit candidate for the President's post. While Congress national spokesperson Ghulam Nabi Azad has very guardedly said a decision on the matter will only be taken on June 22 at the next meet of the combined opposition, the unease in the party is evident all down the line.

"Definitely, the Congress and all secular parties are in a very difficult position. They cannot oppose or support this move. It is a stroke similar to what former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee pulled off by proposing APJ Abdul Kalam for the President's post," Honnapura pointed out.

In Vajpayee's time, the RSS was not in the loop and did not have a final say on the matter. In the case of the current nominee, Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind, however, the RSS is said to be extremely comfortable as he is a member and a staunch upholder of its ideology.

The Congress in Karnataka is already facing questions of why it has never made a Dalit the chief minister of the state, despite having leaders of stature like Lok Sabha floor leader Mallikarjun M Kharge. The party is aware of the simmering discontent among its Dalit votebank, which is slowly being eroded by the BJP.

Dalits are an estimated 35% of the state's population and a pitched battle is currently on in Karnataka between Congress and BJP to gain their trust in the runup to the 2018 state assembly polls.While CM Siddaramaiah has announced several welfare measures for the segment, BJP state unit president B S Yeddyurappa is visiting houses of Dalits and eating meals there.

"The touchable Dalits are already shifting to us. We will now get the rest because we are showing more commitment to empowering the Dalits than the Congress ever did," a BJP ideology pointed out. State Congress sources concurred with this assessment of Dalit sentiments.