Dharti Pakar (also spelt Dharti Pakad; transcribed as Dhartipakar and Dhartipakad as well) (etymology: Dharti = Earth; Pakar = Grasp: "One who clings on") is the nickname of at least three perennial candidates in India who contested unsuccessfully in several elections against top political leaders.
A satirical television show looking at the electoral politics was named Dharti Pakar after a man named Kaka Joginder Singh, whose nickname was Dharti Pakad.
Mohan Lal, a cloth merchant from Bhopal, also had the nickname of Dharti Pakar for contesting elections against five different Prime Ministers and losing the deposit in all these elections.
[1] Nagarmal Bajoria is also known by the nickname of Dharti Pakar;[2] he contested from over 278 constituencies and used donkeys for campaigning in an election.
Dharti Pakar is also a popular nickname in office politics referring to individuals who have no case for meaningful existence in the prevailing environment.