In a recent opinion piece titled “Between Empowerment & Exploitation: Examining Vote Bank Politics of ‘Useful Infidels’”, published on News 18, the practice of vote bank politics in India was scrutinized. The article highlighted how politicians have been using the strategy of appealing to specific communities in order to secure their votes during elections.
According to the article, vote bank politics refers to a loyal group of voters from a particular community who consistently support a specific candidate or political party. This support is often driven by the expectation of benefits from the political party, sometimes at the expense of other communities.
The piece specifically pointed out the Indian National Congress (INC) for indulging in Muslim appeasement, sacrificing the rights of Muslim women in the process. The overturning of the Shah Bano Supreme Court judgement by former PM Rajiv Gandhi under pressure from Muslim politicians was cited as a clear example of this practice.
The term ‘vote bank politics’ was first introduced by sociologist M. N. Srinivas in 1955 and has since come to encompass voting based on factors such as caste, religion, and language. The negative implications of this strategy were also highlighted in the article.
To read the full article, visit News18.com.
Image Source: hindupost.in
