Politics, religion, caste, or calibre — factors that go into nominating a presidential candidate

Murmu was born on June 20, 1958, in Baidaposi village of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha into a Scheduled Tribe (ST) family. (Image: News18 Creative)

As India gets ready for its 15th President, any leader being chosen to be the head of state could be on the basis of a mix of factors. Certainly, what is discernible is that political factors determine candidates for the election, and who wins. Their religion, caste, or community along with individual qualifications and experience count while being selected to hold the highest public office.

Undoubtedly, every Prime Minister since Independence has preferred a President with whom they have a good rapport.

But it is easier said than done, because finding such a person is also connected to the composition of the electoral college at any given point of time. The success of the Prime Minister's choice also depends on their authority and the popularity they command at that time.

First Dalit President

KR Narayanan went on to become India's first Dalit President in 1997 (after a stint as Vice President) when the Congress was supporting a minority United Front government led by IK Gujral. Narayanan's candidature could not be opposed by major opposition parties because none of them wanted to be seen on the wrong side of history. He was elected India's tenth President, polling a record 95 percent votes in the electoral college. His lone rival, former Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan forfeited his security deposit. Seshan, who was supported by the Shiv Sena and some independent legislators, drew a blank in six states and the Union territory of Pondicherry.

Narayanan received the highest number of valid votes polled in any presidential election till then in terms of value.

India’s Missile Man

When Narayanan's term ended in 2002, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. India's missile man APJ. Abdul Kalam became the 11th President by beating his nearest rival Lakshmi Sahgal who was put up by the Left parties. Vajpayee was not keen on a second term for Narayanan as he was seen close to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Kalam's name was proposed by Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to Vajpayee when the latter's emissary Pramod Mahajan went to him to seek support for a BJP-backed candidate. Known as a leader close to the Muslims, Yadav remembered Kalam because he had served him as an adviser when he was Defence Minister under Prime Ministers HD Deve Gowda, and Gujaral between 1996 and 1998.

Keen to divide the Opposition, Vajpayee and Advani decided to go ahead with Kalam's name. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supported Kalam. The Congress as the major opposition party supported Kalam, two days after he had filed the nomination. Kalam rang up Gandhi to thank her.

The moot question is whether all the major parties supported Kalam because he pioneered India's missile and space programmes or just because he was a Muslim.

First Woman President

When Kalam's tenure ended in 2007, the Congress was in power and Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister. The Congress was not in favour of a second term to Kalam, while Kalam himself refused to enter a contest again. Gandhi was also against Pranab Mukherjee leaving the government to become President.

As the search for a suitable candidate began, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary AB Vardhan mooted the name of Pratibha Patil, who was then Rajasthan Governor. The Left was opposed to then Home Minister Shivraj Patil or senior Congress leader Karan Singh. What worked in Patil's favour was that she was very close to Gandhi. She made history as India's first woman President, beating Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the incumbent Vice-President and a BJP veteran. Shekhawat had stood as an independent candidate, backed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). But the Shiv Sena, which was a part of the NDA, supported Patil because she hailed from Maharashtra.

Background Politics

When Patil's term ended in 2012, Gandhi reluctantly accepted the Left's idea to nominate Mukherjee who resigned as Finance Minister to contest. He trounced former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, who was projected by the NDA as a leader who could have become India's first tribal President.

That honour most likely will now go to Droupadi Murmu, who is likely to win and become India’s 15th President. The BJP has highlighted her Santhal background, besides her experience as Jharkhand Governor, and as a minister under Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik (when the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal ran a coalition) between 2000 and 2004.

Similarly, the BJP has highlighted Jagdeep Dhankar's ‘kisan putra’ background to buttress his case as Vice-President. Dhankar belongs to the Jat community, which is a backward community in Rajasthan.

Vice-President To President

Previously, the Presidents were chosen on the basis of the choice of the then Prime Ministers. Despite differences with him, Jawaharlal Nehru preferred Rajendra Prasad, who was India's first President as well as the only one who served two terms between 1950 and 1962.

Prasad was succeeded by Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan who was a philosopher of repute. He became the natural choice to be the second President of India from 1962 to 1967, because he had a head start as the first Vice-President of India from 1952 to 1962. After Radhakrishnan's tenure, it was Zakir Husain to be the third President of India from May 13, 1967 until his death on May 3, 1969. He was seen as the natural successor to Radhakrishnan because he had served as second Vice-President under him. He was also the co-founder of Jamia Millia Islamia, serving as its Vice-Chancellor from 1928. Hussain was the first Muslim President of India and the first Indian President to die in office.

Breaking Convention

It was Husain's sudden death that set off a chain of events. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to challenge the old guards in the Congress. Indira Gandhi preferred VV Giri, who was India's third Vice-President and acting President following Husain's death, to succeed him. But the old guard (a la ‘Syndicate’) chose Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy as the Congress’ presidential candidate. Indira Gandhi suspected that the Syndicate was keen to foist a ‘difficult’ President over her to curb her style of working.

She got Giri to resign as acting President to contest as an independent and ensured his victory over Reddy by 15,000 votes in the election. A livid Syndicate expelled her from the party. It was the first time a Prime Minister had been expelled from their own party.

Political Retribution

When Giri's term ended in 1974, Indira Gandhi preferred her minister Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed as President rather than elevate Vice-President GS Pathak. Ahmed was the second Muslim President of India, and also the second President of India to die in office, in 1977.

At that time, Indira Gandhi had lost the Lok Sabha polls, and was in the Opposition. Her bete noire, Morarji Desai was Prime Minister. Reddy, who was then Lok Sabha Speaker, was considered for the post, as a kind of political retribution towards Indira Gandhi.

Gandhi returned to power in 1980, and two years later, Reddy's tenure ended. She chose her trusted loyalist Giani Zail Singh to succeed him, ignoring Mohammad Hidayatullah who was the sixth Vice-President of India.

Soured Ties

Zail Singh became the first Sikh President of India at a time when the militancy in Punjab had reared its ugly head. Indira Gandhi needed to send a message to the community at large. That Zail Singh belonged to the Ramgharia community was highlighted to show that she had chosen a backward class leader.

After Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984, her son Rajiv Gandhi succeeded her as Prime Minister. Once a loyalist, Zail Singh felt slighted by Rajiv Gandhi and their relationship nosedived to a great extent. Zail Singh returned the Post Office (Amendment) Bill without giving his assent, and suspected the government of even bugging the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In 1987, when Zail Singh's term ended, Rajiv Gandhi elevated Vice-President R Venkataraman as President, trusting his seniority and experience.

When Venkataraman’s term came to an end in 1992, then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao chose old hand Shankar Dayal Sharma who served till 1997, and was succeeded by Narayanan.

Over the past few decades it is evident that political parties have nominated presidential and vice-presidential candidates based on multiple factors — while a comfortable working equation tops it, the candidate’s religion, caste, and community have also influenced the decision-making process. While realpolitik has influenced some decisions, without doubt they have led to empowerment of caste, communities, and even gender — and that’s a win-win for all.

Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.