NEW DELHI: The name of Odisha Governor S.C Jamir is on the list of candidates for the vice-presidential post prepared by BJP, sources said.
Former Union minister V.K Deo and a few other NDA-appointed governors are on the list. But the former Congress leader from Nagaland, with his seniority, tribal status and northeast connection, definitely has an edge over others.
Jamir had denied earlier reports that said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was pushing for the veteran politician’s name as its nominee. “At present I am the Governor of Odisha,” he had said.
A five-time chief minister of Nagaland, thrice as a Congress leader, 87-year-old Jamir has the distinction of standing for the country’s integrity and sovereignty despite several attempts on his life by NSCN(IM) militants. Apart from political considerations, the post of vice-president generally does not go to the ruling party since the President is its nominee. While President Pranab Mukherjee was the ruling UPA’s nominee, Hamid Ansari was chosen from the Left Front.
There was an exception during previous NDA government when Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was nominated for the vice-president’s post though he was from BJP.
The reason that the Centre had given was that Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was chosen unanimously by the ruling and the opposition parties for the President’s post.
The nomination of Jamir, a Christian from the tribal-dominated North East, will work to the advantage of BJP that is eying Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram, which will go to polls next year.
Meghalaya and Mizoram are rule by the Congress and Nagaland is under NPF rule and BJP is a major partner in the coalition.
All Congress MLAs in Nagaland and most of the party leaders, including Apok Jamir, Jamir’s son, have joined the coalition. The Congress was quick enough to expel most of the leaders.
If elected Jamir will be the first tribal from the North East to occupy the high office. This will send a signal that the ruling NDA is a secular front.
A section of the BJP members feels that this would also help in mitigating the feeling of alienation in the North East and bring the region closer to the mainstream.
Jamir, who served as governor of Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, was appointed the Governor of Odisha by the Manmohan Singh government in March 2013. Besides former Lt. General Nirbhay Sharma (Mizoram), Jamir is the sole UPA-era governor in the Modi government.
