04-20-2007, 11:03 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Haze over Raisina Hill </b>
Pioneer.com
Kalyani Shankar
There is intense speculation over who will be the next President. <b>Will Kalam continue in office?</b> Or will it be someone else? A clear picture will emerge after the Uttar Pradesh poll results are out
There are two questions increasingly being asked in political circles these days. Who will rule Uttar Pradesh? And, who will be the next President? Both the questions are inter-linked to the extent that the winner - if there is one - of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election will also hold the key to the choice of the President.
<b>Uttar Pradesh, with its 403 Assembly seats, will play a crucial role in the presidential election. In the 2002 election, while the value of an MP's vote was 708, that of a State legislator was 208. Currently, there is a gap of about 40,000 to 50,000 votes between the UPA and the NDA.</b>
There was a surprise element in the 2002 presidential election when Mr APJ Abdul Kalam's name suddenly emerged. Before that happened, then Maharashtra Governor PC Alexander was the front-runner for the top post. The name of Mr Kalam was suggested by then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, NDA convener George Fernandes and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav after the Congress refused to support Mr Alexander's candidature. The Left parties fielded Lakshmi Saigal to contest against Mr Kalam but the latter won handsomely.
Today, at the end of his five-year tenure, Mr Kalam has proved to be a non-controversial President and is poised for a second term. <b>Except Rajendra Prasad, no other President got a second term.</b> Mr Kalam is not averse to continuing, but he does not want any contest.
As far as Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is concerned, he is a serious contender for the simple reason that the Vice-President has always had an edge over other aspirants for the President's chair. Also, Mr Shekhawat has conducted himself extremely well during the past five years and enjoys the best of relations with the leaders of various political parties. This was proved in the 2002 vice-presidential election when he won by a margin of 108 votes. The NCP has already announced its support for Mr Shekhawat. The Rajput lobby may work overtime for him even if there is a contest.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's name, too, is doing the rounds in the Congress circles. He will be completing three years as the Prime Minister in May and a presidential position will ensure him another five years at the corridors of power. He would be an acceptable candidate for all sides concerned. <b>It may also pave the way for Mr Rahul Gandhi to ascend to the post of the real highest executive.</b>
There are at least four candidates from the east. Topping the list is Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. He is hoping that the CPI(M) will not make a "historic blunder" the second time by not endorsing his presidential candidature. Mr Chatterjee is depending on the Left-Congress support, thanks to his good equations with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
The second in the list is Mr Pranab Mukherjee, considered no. 2 in the Union Cabinet, besides being the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha. Mr Mukherjee has handled many portfolios, including Finance, Commerce and External Affairs. He is respected by all, including the Left parties. If Ms Gandhi decides to field him, he will have a definite edge over others.
Mr Amartya Sen, too, is believed to be in the presidential race. His name has popped up among the Leftists, although their official candidate is most likely to be Mr Somnath Chatterjee. Mr Sen is also close to Mr Manmohan Singh. The fourth name is that of West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, whose lineage stands him in good stead. He has served as a bureaucrat, a diplomat and an administrator. His role in the recent Nandigram crisis has bolstered his image. Being the youngest presidential aspirant, his name is doing the rounds for the post of President as well as Vice-President.
Two names for the presidential post have emerged from western India, both close to Ms Gandhi. Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who has ministerial as well as gubernatorial experience and is a Dalit face of the Congress, has already had a taste of the vice-presidential election in 2002. He is a non-controversial person and is acceptable to all, including the BSP. Congress insiders bet on him to be Ms Gandhi's choice. The second name is that of Home Minister Shivraj Patil, a confidant of Ms Gandhi. Mr Patil has a clean image and was the Speaker of Lok Sabha when Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister. A low profile leader, he is well suited to the Congress high command.
Former Union Minister Karan Singh, a well-known scholar and experienced politician, is also in the fray. The former maharaja of Kashmir is also qualified for the esteemed post, but the question is, will Ms Gandhi choose him above others?
North India has its own share of candidates. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, if he wants the job, could be a serious contender, thanks to his acceptability to both the NDA and the UPA. He is the tallest Brahmin leader in India today. He has excellent relations with Ms Sonia Gandhi as well as other Congress leaders. Then, there is former Prime Minster IK Gujral. Just as he got the Prime Minister's post earlier, will he be lucky a second time?
From the Congress side, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari is eyeing the position. Mr Tiwari was the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister four times, besides handling the Finance, External Affairs, Industry and the Planning Commission at the Centre. Will he be able to convince the Congress president that he is the right choice after the party's defeat in Uttarakhand? HRD Minister Arjun Singh is another candidate with presidential ambition. Besides being the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, he had held the gubernatorial post.
There are at least two candidates from south India - both from the OBC - former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily. While Mr Deve Gowda is said to have used his backward card with the DMK and other regional parties, Mr Moily is depending on Mr Manmohan Singh's support. The latter is also liked by Ms Gandhi.
Will it be the caste or communal factor, or will it be one's personal luck that will determine the next president? There is a way out from the electoral contest. If the UPA and the NDA agree to look for a consensus candidate, there will be no election and everything will end smoothly. For that, they have to exhibit political maturity and statesmanship.
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Pioneer.com
Kalyani Shankar
There is intense speculation over who will be the next President. <b>Will Kalam continue in office?</b> Or will it be someone else? A clear picture will emerge after the Uttar Pradesh poll results are out
There are two questions increasingly being asked in political circles these days. Who will rule Uttar Pradesh? And, who will be the next President? Both the questions are inter-linked to the extent that the winner - if there is one - of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election will also hold the key to the choice of the President.
<b>Uttar Pradesh, with its 403 Assembly seats, will play a crucial role in the presidential election. In the 2002 election, while the value of an MP's vote was 708, that of a State legislator was 208. Currently, there is a gap of about 40,000 to 50,000 votes between the UPA and the NDA.</b>
There was a surprise element in the 2002 presidential election when Mr APJ Abdul Kalam's name suddenly emerged. Before that happened, then Maharashtra Governor PC Alexander was the front-runner for the top post. The name of Mr Kalam was suggested by then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, NDA convener George Fernandes and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav after the Congress refused to support Mr Alexander's candidature. The Left parties fielded Lakshmi Saigal to contest against Mr Kalam but the latter won handsomely.
Today, at the end of his five-year tenure, Mr Kalam has proved to be a non-controversial President and is poised for a second term. <b>Except Rajendra Prasad, no other President got a second term.</b> Mr Kalam is not averse to continuing, but he does not want any contest.
As far as Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is concerned, he is a serious contender for the simple reason that the Vice-President has always had an edge over other aspirants for the President's chair. Also, Mr Shekhawat has conducted himself extremely well during the past five years and enjoys the best of relations with the leaders of various political parties. This was proved in the 2002 vice-presidential election when he won by a margin of 108 votes. The NCP has already announced its support for Mr Shekhawat. The Rajput lobby may work overtime for him even if there is a contest.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's name, too, is doing the rounds in the Congress circles. He will be completing three years as the Prime Minister in May and a presidential position will ensure him another five years at the corridors of power. He would be an acceptable candidate for all sides concerned. <b>It may also pave the way for Mr Rahul Gandhi to ascend to the post of the real highest executive.</b>
There are at least four candidates from the east. Topping the list is Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. He is hoping that the CPI(M) will not make a "historic blunder" the second time by not endorsing his presidential candidature. Mr Chatterjee is depending on the Left-Congress support, thanks to his good equations with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
The second in the list is Mr Pranab Mukherjee, considered no. 2 in the Union Cabinet, besides being the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha. Mr Mukherjee has handled many portfolios, including Finance, Commerce and External Affairs. He is respected by all, including the Left parties. If Ms Gandhi decides to field him, he will have a definite edge over others.
Mr Amartya Sen, too, is believed to be in the presidential race. His name has popped up among the Leftists, although their official candidate is most likely to be Mr Somnath Chatterjee. Mr Sen is also close to Mr Manmohan Singh. The fourth name is that of West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, whose lineage stands him in good stead. He has served as a bureaucrat, a diplomat and an administrator. His role in the recent Nandigram crisis has bolstered his image. Being the youngest presidential aspirant, his name is doing the rounds for the post of President as well as Vice-President.
Two names for the presidential post have emerged from western India, both close to Ms Gandhi. Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who has ministerial as well as gubernatorial experience and is a Dalit face of the Congress, has already had a taste of the vice-presidential election in 2002. He is a non-controversial person and is acceptable to all, including the BSP. Congress insiders bet on him to be Ms Gandhi's choice. The second name is that of Home Minister Shivraj Patil, a confidant of Ms Gandhi. Mr Patil has a clean image and was the Speaker of Lok Sabha when Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister. A low profile leader, he is well suited to the Congress high command.
Former Union Minister Karan Singh, a well-known scholar and experienced politician, is also in the fray. The former maharaja of Kashmir is also qualified for the esteemed post, but the question is, will Ms Gandhi choose him above others?
North India has its own share of candidates. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, if he wants the job, could be a serious contender, thanks to his acceptability to both the NDA and the UPA. He is the tallest Brahmin leader in India today. He has excellent relations with Ms Sonia Gandhi as well as other Congress leaders. Then, there is former Prime Minster IK Gujral. Just as he got the Prime Minister's post earlier, will he be lucky a second time?
From the Congress side, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari is eyeing the position. Mr Tiwari was the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister four times, besides handling the Finance, External Affairs, Industry and the Planning Commission at the Centre. Will he be able to convince the Congress president that he is the right choice after the party's defeat in Uttarakhand? HRD Minister Arjun Singh is another candidate with presidential ambition. Besides being the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, he had held the gubernatorial post.
There are at least two candidates from south India - both from the OBC - former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily. While Mr Deve Gowda is said to have used his backward card with the DMK and other regional parties, Mr Moily is depending on Mr Manmohan Singh's support. The latter is also liked by Ms Gandhi.
Will it be the caste or communal factor, or will it be one's personal luck that will determine the next president? There is a way out from the electoral contest. If the UPA and the NDA agree to look for a consensus candidate, there will be no election and everything will end smoothly. For that, they have to exhibit political maturity and statesmanship.
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