What are the chances that any of those currently under consideration would become the next President of India? a senior journalist recently tweeted. One of the respondents, who is renowned for having reliable insider knowledge of how the BJP operates, responded, "Close to zero." And the response sort of sums up what some of us might be missing as the election for India's 16th President, scheduled for July 18, approaches.
Wednesday saw a meeting of opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, hosted by West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee. At this meeting, it was decided to examine potential candidates for a common presidential candidate. One wonders how united that candidate will be in light of the absence of representatives from invited parties such as the AAP (Delhi and Punjab), TRS (Telangana), YSRCP (Andhra Pradesh), SAD (Punjab), and BJD (Odisha) from the meeting.
Although they participated in the discussions, the Left is unhappy with Banerjee's "unilateral moves." However, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, a former governor of West Bengal and the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and Farooq Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, have also been mentioned.
On the other hand, little is being said about the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is currently in power and is led by the BJP, and which is almost certain to win the election, the results of which will be published on July 21. In every anticipated conflict, the NDA has an advantage over the adversary. Few people therefore question whose side will prevail. Who will run for office on behalf of the NDA?
A compromise candidate is being discussed with the opposition parties by BJP president JP Nadda and Union minister Rajnath Singh. We don't know who that could be, but the name may already have been chosen. Even within the BJP, hardly many do.
However, there are some obvious trends in previous presidential elections. The NDA's selection has a significant political impact and electoral reach. Additionally, it surprises the opposition, which even compels some of its supporters to support the NDA. And this could make the statistics, which currently favour the NDA, somewhat less significant.
The NDA put APJ Abdul Kalam up as its presidential candidate for India in 2002. The manoeuvre baffled the opposition Congress and local parties like the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and the TDP in Andhra Pradesh, who ultimately supported India's "missile man" for the top constitutional position. Banerjee also did.
The two major parties in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK and the DMK, had no motive to oppose Kalam because he was a member of the state. The Left, which fielded independence fighter Lakshmi Sahgal, was the lone exception, and she lost in a lopsided match.
More recently, during the most recent election in 2017, the NDA pulled off a surprise by electing Ram Nath Kovind, a low-profile Dalit leader and the then-Gov. of Bihar. He won with ease. We have witnessed how the BJP has attracted sizable numbers of Dalit voters throughout elections with this and other similar actions.
In the presidential election, which will only be held when there isn't a single candidate who has the support of both sides, the NDA may run again with Kovind or shock us with another unexpected choice. According to certain reports, former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Telangana Governor Tamilsai Soundararajan, and Karnataka Governor and Dalit leader Thawar Chand Gehlot may also be taken into consideration.
You must be logged in to post a comment.