Do your partner’s political beliefs matter? Yes and no

With hyper-partisanship on the rise, is politics playing a part in who one chooses to date.

Politics seems to be taking over every aspect of one’s life; from what one eats to how they dress. So it comes as no surprise that it has seeped into personal spheres such as dating and marriage.

A while ago, a couple from Uttar Pradesh reportedly called off their wedding due to the bride being against the Prime Minister and the groom being a supporter. Another story that made headlines last year was of two Modi supporters who noticed each other in the comments section of a post against Rahul Gandhi. There’s also couples such as Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna who have been very vocal about their opposing political views and how it doesn’t affect their relationship.

So does political leaning play a part in who you’re with? While the concept of opposites attract may be true, most people tend to gravitate towards people that share the same values and ideals.

According to a 2017 study by professors at Yale and Stanford, people evaluate potential dating partners more favourably and are more likely to reach out to them when they have similar political characteristics. It has even given rise to the popular phrase “swipe left if you voted right” in the context of dating platforms.

Siddharth (name changed), who places himself at the centre-left point of the political spectrum, says that he wouldn’t mind dating someone from the opposite end of the spectrum. “This is as long as they are open to discussion and changing their opinion,” he says.

He adds that there are a few issues such as feminism and LGBTQ rights that he will not compromise on. “I also think politics isn’t something you need to discuss while dating,” he says.

Professor Benson Rajan from the Jindal School of Communication says that politics definitely influences who you date. He says it is one of the primary factors used in the initial selection of a partner. “Your body and mind are interlinked with your semantic memory. This builds over time to help you make future decisions; dating is one of those. Therefore, as you are a product of your politics and your politics, consciously or subconsciously, decides who it wants to fraternise with,” he explains.

Shireen Noushad, a working professional, says that in today’s political climate, who your partner supports matters.

“I didn’t care about politics as much before. But now with how partisan and brutal things are, I think it reveals a lot about a person if they still support the BJP,” she says.

She also says that politics is personal and it is impossible not to talk about politics with someone you’re in a relationship with.

Radhika Anilkumar too echoes these sentiments. “Not just while dating but even while making friends, I find it difficult to bond with someone who is pro-CAA,” she says.

While she has school friends from the other side of the spectrum, she says she avoids talking about politics with them due to the history they share otherwise.

“When it come to dating though, it is a complete deal breaker,” she says.