If Droupadi Murmu’s nomination as the presidential candidate was a masterstroke, then Jagdeep Dhankar’s choice for Vice President was a “googly” bowled at the Opposition by Narendra Modi. But ‘Smart Aleck’ analogies apart, what ought to be the criterion for occupants of these high offices? While the Vice-President has an executive role as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the President is largely a titular post that acquires extraordinary powers only during a constitutional crisis or a change of government when she can exercise some degree of discretion.
Thus far, in the nearly seven decades of the Republic, India has not had a President who tried to push the “Lakshman Rekha”. There have been some instances of strain or friction between Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Prime Minister’s Office. However, the Presidents have never precipitated matters and almost always the Prime Minister had the right of way. The framers of the Constitution put in place enough safeguards that virtually rules out the possibility of an “activist” President.
There is a popular view that the choice of President and Vice President has only symbolic value and is high on tokenism. The observation may be valid to some extent. This theory can be corroborated by the four Presidents from minority communities, two from Scheduled Caste and a lady President we have had so far.
However, a look back at the career path of all Congress backed Presidents who followed VV Giri would reveal the common thread of absolute loyalty to the Gandhi family above all other qualifications. This policy paid off handsomely with the now infamous incident of President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed being woken up from sleep to sign the Emergency Ordinance at midnight and Giani Zail Singh swearing in Rajiv Gandhi as the Prime Minister out of turn after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984.
There were some murmurs about uncomfortable moments between President Abdul Kalam, who was elected during the Vajpayee era, and the Congress president. Post the retirement of Dr Kalam, the ‘loyalty quotient’ was radically corrected with President Pratibha Patil taking oath as the 12th President.
Though a dyed-in-the-wool Congressperson, Pranab Mukherjee’s equation with the Gandhi family after Indira Gandhi’s death has been a subject of speculation. Therefore, it is widely believed that he was not high on the list of probables for the 13th President. It seems the Congress High Command wanted to be absolutely sure that in case of a hung Lok Sabha in 2014, the new President should be on its side.
However, circumstances pushed Pranab Mukherjee to the coveted chair, as Congress’ allies like Trinamool threw their lot behind him. As events turned out in 2014, it was not a close call and the question of denying the chance to form the government did not arise. Much to the surprise of many, President Mukherjee and PM Narendra Modi famously got along — the relationship culminating in the Modi government awarding the Bharat Ratna to Mukherjee, which certainly did not please the first family of the Congress.
Though there may have been an element of surprise when their names were announced as candidates for the first President and Vice President of the Narendra Modi era — Ram Nath Kovind and M Venkaiah Naidu — largely fitted the mould developed over the years. But both Droupadi Murmu and Jagdeep Dhankhar go beyond the old template making their choice so interesting.
Narendra Modi as a politician always thinks a few steps ahead of his peers and competition. Hence personal loyalty, though important, is not the predominant consideration for him. With the immense political capital in his kitty, he is not insecure about his position. Thus, his decisions are guided by a larger and longer perspective rather than short-term exigencies.
The credentials of Droupadi Murmu does not bear repetition. Even a cursory look at her profile would be enough to convince even the most severe sceptics that she would not be a “rubber stamp” President, as inappropriately alleged by her opponent. Her selection is both inspired and strategic.
Judging by the excitement palpable among the tribal community, her elevation as the Head of State would be a huge step towards mainstreaming and empowering the tribal population of the country, who have existed on the fringes for decades. Comprising nearly nine percent of the country’s population, it would give massive political dividends to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is making a concerted attempt to extend its electoral reach to non-elite constituencies cutting across faiths and communities.
But that is not the only value Droupadi Murmu is going to bring to the high table. As the first tribal President and that too a woman, Droupadi Murmu will reposition India’s image as an inclusive democracy. Thus expect Murmu to be much more visible in the international circuit than her predecessors.
If Droupadi Murmu was a strategic entry, Jagdeep Dhankhar is a tactical one. Retrofit theories about his caste and Rajasthan origin seem largely exaggerated. Dhankhar comes with an impressive legal background and has been the Parliamentary Affairs Minister in the Chandrasekhar government. During his stint in West Bengal he demonstrated that he is no pushover and played the role of the constitutional conscience keeper against an openly hostile Chief Minister.
His ‘Teflon-coated’ personality is exactly what the Modi government needs to steer the Rajya Sabha in remaining two years of its term which is likely to see many stormy passages of important legislations. Besides, one cannot rule out the rare run in with the judiciary on areas of overlap with the executive, which Dhankhar would be well placed to handle in the Upper House where the ruling party does not have an absolute majority of its own.
Narendra Modi is averse to the status quo. Even as an individual he has continuously evolved through the years. Going forward Modi would like to consolidate his legacy. So, he would have most certainly scripted major disruptions for the national polity as well as reinvent his own persona. One already observes how he has been inconspicuously working on cultivating the image of a global statesman.
As he shifts gear for the next, and probably the penultimate, lap of his premiership he would like to rise above routine governance focusing on the mega picture as India’s stature rises in the world. He is probably putting the building blocks in place for making that meta-transition. He has built a strong team and a talent pipeline at the Centre both in the party and the government. The forthcoming Assembly elections in the states are likely to throw up the next generation of the BJP senior leadership.
The new President and Vice President will be an integral part of Modi’s Vision 3.0 that will unfold in the coming months.
The author is a current affairs commentator, marketer, blogger and leadership coach, who tweets at @SandipGhose. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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