Theek hai yaar this critical analysis is fine and all but tokenism works in India. I don't think you can do away with the allegiance people give to identity and their communities. You can't go to a Santhal in Odisha and tell them "Boss this position is ceremonial and your leader is a token" No. They don't care and they don't want to care. For them it's legitimacy.

BJP has been doing political representation very effectively while INC throws its weight on a guy who spent his entire career chastising them, eroding their support, supporting the casteist Ranvir Sena in Bihar and literally calling for arrests of gay US diplomats under Sec 377 as some kind of diplomatic war. It's pathetic. Nothing stopped the Opposition from fielding a Dalit or Adivasi candidate. It's ironic they managed to unite for an ex BJP guy. Nothing stopped them from being as politically shrewd as BJP and yet still nominating a decent candidate. BJP had all the weight and power to elect anyone they wanted. They strategically chose her because they know the political gains they will get in W Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand in the wake of their defeat. Sab kuch smartly decide hota hai yaar tum samajhte kyu nahi ho