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| Two queens have found a king | | Presidential poll takes place on July 19 | |
BL KAK
NEW DELHI, JUNE 13: The Election Commission of India has finally set the ball rolling, with the formal announcement on Wednesday that the Presidential poll will be held on July 19 this year and the counting will take place on July 21. The notification for the polls is due to be issued on Saturday (June 16). The last date for filing of nominations will be June 30, scrutiny on July 2 and last date for withdrawal will be July 4.
With the race for the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Presidential nominee having gained momentum, two queens--Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati--have found a king, whose name will be announced within a week. The two powerful women have decided the fate4 of the next occupant of Raisina Hill.
Mayawati, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), informed EARLY TIMES that she and the Congress chief, Sonia Gandhi, have joined hands and have finalised the name of the person to be fielded as a candidate for the Presidential poll. When asked to disclose the name, Mayawati said: "It is the responsibility of the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, to make the anouncement".
When will this anouncement come? Pat came the reply from Mayawati: "Very soon". Now that Mayawati has obliged the Congress, the UPA has achieved a clear edge over the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the electoral college. Happily for Sonia, Mayawati has opposed candidature of External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, for Presidential election.
Answering another question, Mayawati ruled out any posibility of supporting NDA's choice. She said that her party will not side with "communal forces". Mayawati’s support came after a quiet and personal dinner that she had with Sonia Gandhi on Monday night. Now, the only hurdle left in Home Minister Shivraj Patil's ascension to Raisina hill are the Left parties. They are upset at not being consulted before Mayawati and are now opposing not just Shivraj Patil, but also the man who was being considered as a second option, Karan Singh.
Is this just posturing or are these reservations more serious? The Left parties are also miffed with the fact that Pranab Mukherjee who was initially being considered for the President's post has now been left out. So now, they want to strike a hard bargain.
On the other side of the political divide, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is complicating things further for the UPA. Shekhawat will now contest the Presidential elections as an independent candidate, which may enable him to get votes from non-NDA parties like the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) of Sharad Pawar or the Samjwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Since Shekhawat is considered to be a political heavyweight, with friends across the political fraternity, it is another factor which is worrying the Left. Home Minister Shivraj Patil has emerged as the frontrunner after the Congress indicated that it would be difficult to de-engage Pranab Mukherjee from his role in the government as the External Affairs Minister. However, it seems to be clear that many UPA allies like the Left and NCP and the Shiv Sena are not enthusiastic about the possible candidature of Patil for the post of President.
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