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| BJP fails to woo Shiv Sena | | |
BL KAK
NEW DELHI, JULY 6: Behind-the-scene attempts by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to make the Shiv Sena rethink its decision to support UPA Presidential candidate, Pratibha Patil, have failed to bear fruit. In plain language, the BJP's hope of wooing the Shiv Sena on the issue has been dashed.
Shiv Sena executive president, Uddhav Thackeray. has stated in unambiguous terms that his party’s decision to support Pratibha Patil is "final". “This is the first time in history that for the first time somebody from Maharashtra, that too a woman, is going to serve the nation as its President. I am proud of this”, he said and added that allegations against Pratibha Patil were not very “significant”.
Asked if the Shiv Sena’s decision would damage its alliance with the BJP, Udhav Thackeray said that he would not like to end the partnership. “Our alliance was for Hindutva and for its benefit the partnership must continue”, he said and added: “The BJP has to decide whether it wanted to continue the alliance and I would accept any decision they make". Udhav Thackeray's significant comment: There is a communication gap with the BJP after Pramod Mahajan’s death. “Yes, there is a slight problem and this should be sorted out. If the BJP wants our alliance may progress”, Thackeray maintained.
Shiv Sena chief, Bal Thackeray, decided to support Pratibha Patil because she was a “Marathi manoos” (Marathi) and has said “what else could be befitting than having a Marathi as President when the State celebrates its golden jubilee in 2010”. The BJP-led NDA, of which Shiv Sena is an important partner, is supporting Vice- President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, in the Presidential election.
Meanwhile, Election Commission of India has announced a month-long schedule. Indian lawmakers will elect the new Vice-President of the country on August 10. The poll process will formally get under way with a notification slated to be issued on Monday. Nominations can be filed until July 23. The voting takes place on August 10.
The 790 members from either House of Parliament constitute the electoral college. Unlike the Presidential election, even nominated members are entitled to vote in the Vice Presidential election. Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is slated to retire on August 18 upon completion of his five-year tenure. He is already in the fray for the July 19 Presidential election as an opposition-sponsored independent candidate.
While the election of a nominee of the ruling coalition as the next Vice- President is a foregone conclusion given the numerical majority the ruling United Progressive Alliance-Left Front combine enjoys in the electoral college, selecting a candidate could yet pose a challenge. While it is not yet clear if the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will field its candidate for the Vice- Presidential poll, some UPA constituents as well as the Left parties are eyeing the Vice-President's post in lieu of their decision to support the Congress party's nominee Pratibha Patil for the Presidential election.
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