The BJP, it seems, will not have any problem in electing its own candidate for the post of the president of the country. Parties like the AIADMK and the YSR Congress have come forward with support for the BJP’s candidate. YSR Congress’s president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “We will support any candidate the BJP fields as we have very little differences in opinion. The BJP has enough support for its candidate to win. Opposing their candidate and fielding another will not make sense.” Reddy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 10 to offer support to any candidate that the BJP fields.
Hectic parleys have already begun, among the opposition parties, on a suitable candidate to stand against the BJP’s candidate. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is seeking the support of the opposition parties ahead of the elections in July. She has met leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party, the National Conference, the Janata Dal (United), CPI(M), CPI, the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal to build a consensus. The names of former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav were, apparently, discussed. Though nothing was finalised.
The BJP is short by 25,000 votes at the moment. But support from one or two regional parties could easily cover the shortfall. It is almost sure that it will be a BJP candidate who would be the next president of India. The total value of votes in the electoral college is 10,98,882. Around 5,49,442 votes are needed to reach the majority mark. The BJP-led NDA, on its own, has around 5,31,442 votes. Support from a few smaller parties would help the NDA fetch the remaining 18,000 votes.
In the BJP, meanwhile, there is confusion as to who the candidate is. Many senior leaders stayed tight-lipped. But there is a growing chorus in favour of former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani. Said the BJP leader Vinay Katiyar to THE WEEK, “Our party can still consider Advani for the post of president. There is no legal hindrance. The party has to take the final call.” Katiyar was referring to the Supreme Court, recently, reviving criminal conspiracy charge against Advani in the Babri Masjid demolition case.
MP and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar said that Advani’s name could be considered by the party. Said he to THE WEEK, “I have given my opinion on Advani’s candidature to the party leadership. But I would not like to express my views on it to the media.”
It is a tricky issue and must be handled with a lot of thought and care, said BJP MP Tarun Vijay, on Advani’s name being proposed for the post of the president. Said Vijay to THE WEEK, “I fully trust my leadership. I am sure they will choose the right candidate from the party after deliberating on all the pros and cons.”
Veterans in the BJP like O. Rajagopal, the lone MLA from Kerala, want Advani to be the next president. Said Rajagopal to THE WEEK, “My personal opinion is that Advani should become the next president. The party should put forward his name. Finally, I will go by what my party decides.”
Senior leader Chandan Mitra said to THE WEEK that Advani’s name was not in the fray. “As far as I know, Advani is not in the race. The party will choose the right candidate at the right time,” he said.
BJP leader Balbir Punj refused to comment on the matter.
Said party stalwart V.K. Malhotra, 85, “I am practically nobody in the party at the moment. Yes, I share a good relation with Advani. But I wouldn’t like to comment on the presidential election for now.”
Legal experts said the Babri Masjid demolition trial does not make Advani ineligible for the post of the president. Article 58 of the Constitution clearly states that a presidential candidate should be an Indian citizen who has completed the age of 35 years and is qualified to become a member of the Lok Sabha. He or she should not hold any office of profit under the government of India or under any other local authority.
Article 361(3) of the Constitution extends immunity to the president. So if he becomes the president, Advani cannot be arrested.
When Pratibha Patil was nominated as candidate of the United Progressive Alliance in 2007, it was pointed out that she was accused of financial irregularities. But that didn’t prevent her from becoming the president.
Who knows, history could repeat after 10 years.