| Published on 11-07-2007 In National |
| Viewed 2813 times |
| Will Sonia's whim 'will' a President? |
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Written by
Cho Ramaswamy |
If the Congress rendered the Presidential elections into a joke, the third front [UNPA] has turned it into a farce.
Following the Congress-left combine's announcement of its candidate [Pratibha Patil] and several days after the BJP-led NDA proclaimed that they shall support Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the third front named APJ Abdul Kalam – the man who had already stated that he was not interested in the contest.
This strange set of circumstances is due to the third front's fear that it would be besmirched by the secular forces for backing the "untouchable" former mainstay of the BJP – Shekhawat; and on the other – it had vowed to defeat the UPA nominee.
Therefore, the UNPA could attract encomiums for backing a "good candidate" and yet possess the option of plumbing for Shekhawat after Kalam ruled himself out [for a second and third time] on the alibi that it has no other alternative.
The UNPA of course, could have backed another person [if ever there was one] and yet cast its second preference votes in favour of [the "independent"] Shekhawat, thereby augmenting the slender chances of his victory.
In other words, it could run with the hares and hunt with the hounds, yet claim it wasn't even in the race!
But the UNPA was done in by Kalam who had [a] ruled himself out of the contest at the outset [b] added a caveat that he could reconsider if everyone agreed to back him and [c] changed that as well in the end by saying he would be in the fray if he was sure to win.
How could Kalam entertain hopes of a winning certainty when the Congress-Left bandwagon had already decided its nominee, unless there was a possibility of heavy cross-voting? In a word, he wanted an impossibility that "seemed" to be plausible.
For a man who was hailed as a good President by the laity and the television channels' opinion polls, the proclamation to contest only on the arguable basis of cross-votes which were in turn based only on the whims and fancies of a fickle political entity is certainly an unfortunate climb down for Kalam from the lofty pedestal.
NCP leader Sharad Pawar made fun of Kalam for being a contestant who wasn't even in the game. Congress leader P.R. Das Munshi called the President's decision "sad" and Laloo Yadav taunted him by saying he should have "withdrawn honourably."
Jayalalithaa opined that these criticisms were hits below the belt.
I disagree.
Nobody can convincingly say that these were unfair comments after Kalam expected the unexpected happenstance of demanding a "certainty of victory" when there was none.
The UNPA couldn't guarantee that to Kalam despite Shekhawat's promise of withdrawal in his favour and in spite of the fact that the BJP wished to re-elect the incumbent in the first place. Vajpayee had sought the President's consent to contest and proposed Shekhawat's name as an "independent" only after Kalam turned down his request.
It must be said here that the BJP wasn't naïve enough to insist on Shekhawat's nomination when it was sure that he was certain to lose with ignominy without the support of the UNPA. So backing Kalam was a clear alternative for the BJP.
But the obvious was not lost on the occupant of Rashtrapathi Bhavan. He knew that the support of the UNPA and the NDA together wasn't enough to get him a second term. He lost a little bit of his prestige and realised the futility of it all.
So, now finally it is a straight fight between Shekhawat and the UPA nominee Pratibha Patil.
The former cannot hope to win without cross-voting from the opposite camp and total support from the UNPA.
Let us face facts. No party can issue a whip to its legislators to vote for a particular candidate. But, imagining the UPA-Left voters [coupled with those of the BSP and Shiv Sena] will ignore their leaderships' fiat is as good as expecting the improbable. But, for the time being, at least on paper, it isn't altogether impossible.
Shekhawat has been known to be impartial when he conducted the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha.
A majority of parliamentarians agree that he is an experienced politician, knows the statute and in spite of concerted efforts of the Congress, the stigma hurled at him hasn't stuck.
On the other hand, a woman who answers to the name of Rajni Patil has told journalists that Pratibha Patil, while being the Governor of Rajasthan, had ensured that her brother was saved from prosecution for the murder of her [Rajni's] husband.
This complaint isn't new or sudden. Rajni had pointed this out to the UPA and Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi several times through snail mail and in person.
A television channel has claimed that courts have accepted Rajni's averment that the matter should be probed by the CBI.
This isn't an easy rap to beat since judges don't say so easily.
In a word, the Congress nominee for president is liable for an impartial probe.
And that isn't all.
A sugar cooperative founded by Pratibha Patil has been documented to have defaulted loans to the tune of Rs.17 crores from banks despite numerous reminders. Arguably, the matter is said to be open to civil and/or criminal prosecution.
As this "qualification" isn't enough for the Congress candidate, the Deccan Chronicle has listed a serious allegation about a bank for women founded by Pratibha Patil in 1973. The Reserve Bank of India, the paper said, pointed out that people's money was misappropriated by her bank and that the entity had accorded loans to people who didn't deserve them. Citing unsatisfactory management as its main reason, the RBI closed the bank in 2000 and cancelled its licence in 2002.
A person who began and operated such a bank is now all set to enter the Rashtrapathi Bhavan!
Let us do a small recap.
A murder charge has been made out against the Presidential candidate's near and dear [and herself by implication] by courts which have suggested a CBI probe. A sugar cooperative factory has already been proceeded against by banks for default. And a bank itself founded by Patil has been faulted by the RBI for misappropriation. And all this has happened between before 2002 – i.e. five years before anybody could have imagined that Pratibha Patil would ever be a Presidential candidate!
In short, the Congress has nominated a person, who could be proceeded against in civil or criminal courts, to occupy the highest post in the nation, which would render her beyond prosecution – a state of affairs that is reprehensibly irresponsible to put it mildly.
In normal times, the President of India is titular.
But, this titular head can decide the fate of a hung parliament, procrastinate on bills sent for assent and be the difference between justice and injustice when elected state governments are recommended to be dismissed by a ruling arrangement at the Centre.
The post of president is regal. A person who can be proceeded against in the courts of the land cannot be worthy of being the highest executive of nation since it would mean that a grave injustice will be perpetrated on the entire country as the president cannot be prosecuted in any civil or criminal court.
So, the elevation of a person of such questionable integrity to an unquestionable position is a blatant attempt to cheat the due process of law.
Already, a person who has never been elected directly by the people and happens to the Prime Minister by virtue of his being a member of the Rajya Sabha cannot go against the whims of Sonia Gandhi. Election Commissioner Navin Chawla [slated to become the CEC in 2009], appointed despite serious allegations can only abide by her wishes. And now, in all probability there will be a President who will be at her beck and call.
The only institution beyond Sonia's control is the Supreme Court.
But for that exception, democracy in India is morphing into a creature of Sonia's comfort. (Translated from Thuglak by TSV Hari) |
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