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| Five columns bottom with photo of Dr Karan Singh | | Jammu looks up to Karan Singh once more | |
Jammu, June 3: As “Peoples President” Dr APJ Abdul Kalam completes his tenure at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Royal Dogra dynasty of Jammu holds, perhaps, the last hope of its climb to the grace it had for over 100 years till its dethronement in 1947.
The scion of Royal Dogra dynasty and former Sadr-e-Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Karan Singh is once again in the hot race for the post of President of India –the highest office in the country. Its is not Dr Karan Singh racing for the highest pride but aspirations of entire Jammu region and more particularly the Duggar culture is looking at the Rashtrapati Bhawan for that rare honour.
Dr Karan Singh had been a hot contender for the post of President of India in 2002 as well but that time the sponsoring party –the Congress –was not in a comfortable position to push its candidate. However, this time around Karan Singh is one among the three shortlisted candidates from the Congress led United Progressive Alliance.
His name is being tossed along with that of Sushil Kumar Shinde and Pranab Mukherjee as the Congress options for the contest. On the sidelines of the convocation of Jammu University here last month, when media persons asked Dr Singh, if could be the next President he humbly said, I will be pleased to accept such a responsibility.
It is not the first time when Dr Karan Singh is in race for the top post. Karan Singh was a frontrunner in 2002. At that time, the Congress, though was considering Karan Singh’s name, but had to join the consensus for APJ Kalam as opposing him could have upset its Muslim constituency.
The pride of Jammu, Karan Singh is always a hot contender of every top post which falls vacant in the power echelons of New Delhi. Last year, when then External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh had to be eased out of the Manmohan Singh cabinet after Volcker report named him in the oil-for-food scam, Dr Karan Singh was once again seen in the fray. It may be recalled that the Prime Minister took a little longer than the expected in filling up the top vacancy in External Affairs Ministry but for all these months the speculations revolved around Karan Singh alone. He was seen as a natural choice for the post of External Affairs Minister for his brief stint as Ambassador to United States of America.
Now when APJ Abdul Kalam’s stint comes to a close at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the lead contender again is Dr Karan Singh. As always, observers feel that Dr Karan Singh is the Congress’ natural option for the post of President. However, the political analysts and the keen Congress watchers are of the opinion that Karan Singh should be the last option for the Congress.
The Left, key players in election of a Congress backed President, see Dr Karan Singh as a soft Hindutvavadi –something the Left is critical of and the Congress too is not happy with. It has to be keenly watched, how far the scion of Royal Dogra dynasty can go to fetch Jammu and Kashmir this rare honour. Besides Shinde, the other options considered by Congress are Home Minister Shivraj Patil, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the party veteran Narayan Datt Tiwari.
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