By Lalit Sethi
Narendra Modi’s projection as a Hindutva icon for the 2014 elections has hurt the saffron polity and caused a breach in the National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP. The Bihar Chief Minister, and his party, the Janata Dal United, a key part of the NDA, walked out and he has been supported in his move by his BJP Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Sushil Modi.
A Presidential election has not caused such a political upheaval in India’s recent history. Even the United Progressive Alliance ruling the country has been affected by tremors in the political class, but it has been more than compensated for its losses. The BJP’s alliance partner, the Shiv Sena, has already decided that it is parting ways with it on the Presidentail election. Even though the Trinamool Congress led by Ms. Mamta Bannerjee is not going along with the UPA in the contest, the UPA has been compensated by the announcement that the CPI M and Forward Bloc will support it, while the CPI and RSP will not. But the biggest outside supporter for the Congress is the Socialist Party led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son, Akhilesh Yadav, Chief Minister of U.P.
The result appears to be that Mr. Pranab Mukherjee is assured of victory and set to become the 13th President of the Republic by 60 per cent of the voters of the electoral college: members of the two Houses of Parliament and 30 Legislative Assemblies of 28 States and two Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry. After election, he could emerge as one of the great Presidents of the nation whose soothing touch could be expected to overcome many controversies and national problems. His political skills in managing crises are well known in all quarters.
The BJP tried to play the Crescent Card by floating the candidature of the former President, Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalaam, but the former President rebuffed the party. When he could become the uncontested President 10 years, why should he be partisan and why should he be a token candidate certain to lose the election of the year 2012. His name might have been brought up by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, but he received near countrywide endorsement and served with distinction. Why would he throw away that image?
But Purno Sangama is an altogether different man. Having been the Speaker of the Lok Sabha long ago has made him feel that he lives in political wilderness. He wants attention, especially media attention, for a few weeks and seeing himself in TV news channels and news headlines of the print media is aphrodisiac enough to be able to enjoy his sundowners, which he would have wished to introduce to the Rashtrapati Bhavan if he had his way. But alas for him, that will not be. The Presidential palace will be on the cocktail circuit even with the saffron addicts pretending to be sober. He floated himself in the arena initially with the support of Ms. Jayalalitha and Mr. Naveen Patnaik from Chennai and Bhubhanewar.
The Sangh Parivar appears to be going back on its own sense of rectitude in public and private conduct even as its male chauvinism generally takes it to the extreme of abstinence from matrimony. Is it possible that the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh, which has just reiterated that its possible or impossible future Prime Ministerial aspirant must be an icon of Hindutva, will endorse a non-Hindutva candidate for the office of President? How will it reconcile its basic tenets? Even the BJP is a house divided on the issue in the inner circles and outer circles, but political convenience forces it to put up a contest. Is it a concession to Lal Krishna Advani, who had strongly opposed the announcement of Narendra Modi as the BJP’s and RSS as the top leader of the Parivar? Is it a surrender to the threat of the maverick, Ram Jethmalani, that if the BJP decides not to contest the Presidential election, he would himself be a candidate for the office so that Mr. Pranab Mukherjee does not have an uncontested election and the present Finance Minister becomes the head of State unchallenged? Even the Shiv Sena, an extremist party, has defied the BJP and told it that it will not vote for Purno Sangama.
When the Congress was holding back the announcement of its candidate until the Election Commission announced the dates for Presidential election, Mulayam Singh Yadav pretended to join hands with Mamta Bannerjee and endorsed the possible candidature of Mr. Kalaam or the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh or even Mr. Somnath Chatterjee, the Speaker of Lok Sabha until three years ago. But when Mr. Pranab Mukherjee was in the picture, he broke ranks with Ms. Bannerjee and insisted that his aim was to force the Congress not to delay its decision. Mulayam has also lately developed close ties with the Bihar Chief Minister, Mr. Nitish Kumar, who is next door to U.P.
Mr. Mukherjee will soon go on an all-India to meet leaders of all States and seek their support. Being perhaps the most seasoned political leader in the country today and one who enjoys the respect of political leaders of all parties, he could become one of the great Presidents of the nation which will face many challenges in the years to come. He would be expected to apply the healing touch whenever there is a major controversy.
(The author can be contacted at newsagency12 @gmail.com)