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Pratibha Patil to become Rashtra(pati)!
 Ever
since BJP was voted out of power it has repeatedly demonstrated its
desperation at its fate. Vicious opposition to Pratibha Patil too is
born out of the realization that one more time it would be on the losing
side. However, there is also the suspicion that this time as a part of
its long term strategy it might have launched the tirade to undermine
the office of the President in its current form to pave way for the
presidential form of government!
There have been bitter electoral battles before but then at least they
were fought under the guise of ideology and political philosophy. This
time, however, the presidential campaign has been conducted with bare
knuckles. Charges and counter charges have been flying and both the NDA
and the UPA refuse to explain how Pratibha Patil and Shekhawat were fit
to hold the posts of Governor and Vice President but not President.
 Never
before in the history of the Indian republic has the battle for the
Rashtrapati Bhawan been more bitter and contentious; and, never before
has a woman been the frontrunner in such a battle. The lead up to
Presidential election has left a bitter trail and the political parties
would be hard put coming to terms with its aftermath. However, with the
13th presidential election of India slated for 19th of July this year
there is a fair chance of country seeing its first woman President?
The nomination of Pratibha Patil had come after a high political drama.
There were many prospects for the highest post in the congress led UPA
alliance. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Karan Singh,
Speaker Somnath Chaterjee, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Home Minister Shivraj
Patil were names that were debated in the political circles. There was a
week long tussle between UPA and left over the nomination as Left had an
opportunity to demonstrate that it was not supporting the Congress
blindly. Thus on the plea that a person like Shivraj Patil and Pranab
Mukherjee were too much of Congressmen to act independently as
President, their candidature was vetoed. So was Karan Singh as the Left
could not be seen to be supporting a former Prince.
After springing a surprise by popping up the name of Pratibha Patil as a
candidate of the UPA, the Congress and its allies have had to spend
considerable time battling the charges that were hurled at her. The mud
slinging and the malignant campaign notwithstanding, Pratibha Patil has
her hand firmly on the door knob of the grand Bhawan. The UPA’s
propagation that being a woman with a very good chance of winning was a
USP for Mrs. Pratibha Patil but it did not cut any ice with the NDA as
frustrated with the assembly results in UP and Goa, BJP had an eye on
the highest post. It had also banked upon the hope that not only would
all the erstwhile components of NDA voted for Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
but it would also be possible to poach upon the UPA vote. Moreover,
there was no knowing what posture might ultimately be adopted by the
Left, the mainstay of UPA. The battle had initially promised to be a
close one.
Only once before, in 1969, has the election for the President been
bitter and divisive. The similarity, however, ends there. History will
record the differences within the Congress party as a historical
evolution of the political philosophy of the party. The ‘conscience’
vote, much celebrated by the Congressmen loyal to the then Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi, was equally derided by her opponents as a below
the belt tactic. For the cynics, ‘conscience’ was a word used by Indira
Gandhi to put greed for power on a higher platform. The students of
socio-economic forces have, however, found the clear cut demarcation
between the pro poor and pro capitalist forces.
Unfortunately, no such cover of philosophy is available in the current
election. While it can be said that probably the Congress and its UPA
partners have found little time to attribute higher political virtues to
Pratibha Patil, apart from her likelihood to be the first woman to
become Rashtra(pati), the BJP and its NDA partners have demonstrated
their political bankruptcy by asking Vice President Bhairon Singh
Shekhawat to disassociate his nearly sixty years of association with a
particular political philosophy and contest as an independent candidate.
Having said goodbye to ideological battles, the BJP was the first to
bare its knuckles when it brought out a series of charges including
financial irregularities allegedly perpetrated by Pratibha Patil and her
cooperative bank in Maharashtra. The muddy campaign began at the
residence of a NDA leader, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, though not in his
presence but obviously with his support. One Rajani Patel from Jalgaon
addressed the media and charged Pratibha Patil with helping he husband
in the investigation of murder of her husband. After that it became a
routine affair for the NDA to bring more charges about her and her
family in the cooperative affairs in her home town.
For a few days the mud flew thick and fast and the BJP leaders hogged
the limelight. Ironically, none bothered to verify the antecedents of
the people who were making allegations of financial irregularities
against Pratibha Patil. A proper scrutiny brings out the fact that the
allegations that hogged the headlines in some newspapers were made by a
faction of the unions in confrontation with the management and that it
does not come as a surprise that these factions happen to be the union
arm of the BJP. It is now known that when Pratibha Patil was the
Chairperson of the Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Cooperative Bank, Jalgaon in
the year 1990 no loan was sanctioned which did not conform to the
guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Even the RBI has recorded
in 1995 that all loans sanctioned by the said bank followed the normal
lending rate of 13%. It is true that there were a few relatives of
Pratibha Patil who availed loan from the cooperative bank. Mrs. Anjali
Patil took a loan of Rs. 7.00 lakhs, Raj Kaur Patil a loan of Rs. 5.00
lakh and Kavita Arvind Patil too took a loan of Rs. 5.00 lakh. All these
persons who were the clients of the bank availed a normal banking
transcation and in due course paid all the loans including the principal
amount and the interest at the rate prescribed by the RBI. Pratibha
Patil has been the Chairperson of the sugar factory in Jalgaon till
December 2001 and a Director till 2003 before demitting all offices at
the time of becoming Governor of Rajasthan. During all these years no
government agency ever issued any notice to her in individual capacity.
These are facts that can be easily verified as is the fact that the
money collected by for the Tsunami relief fund was duly deposited with
the Collector of Jalgaon. These facts notwithstanding, the BJP thrived
on selective misinformation about the RBI norms and Pratibha Patil’s
bank. Bordering on perversion, the BJP made Pratibha Patil accountable
for every action of her relatives.
Finally, after lying low for a number of days, the Congress too came out
with a series of allegations against the NDA candidate Bharion Singh
Shekhawat and his relatives. Instances were quoted when he as the chief
Minister of Rajasthan had misused his powers to favour his relatives.
These allegations and counter allegations beg the question as to why
these national parties had remained silent when Shekhawat and Pratibha
Patil were sworn in to high constitutional posts as Vice President of
India and Governor of Rajasthan. Did they consider those posts as of no
consequence that they chose to remain silent over the alleged
irregularities or did they think that tainting the Presidency with these
allegations was a more desirable option?
It is too early to say what damage might have been done to the office of
President of India by the muddy campaign that is being launched. Adding
to the murky political moves is the demand of the UNPA leaders that the
President of the country should be a person who is above politics. The
reasoning is difficult to appreciate as it is not everyday that the
country is lucky to find a person of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s stature
and personality. Moreover, it needs to be remembered that a republic is
the creation of political activity and it is undesirable to have some
one as President who does not understand politics and constitution.
Soon, however, this unsavory campaign would come to an end and unless a
great upheaval takes place, Pratibha Patil is all set to enter the
Rashtrapati Bhawan and the history books as the first woman to become
the President of India. The reverberations of this election,
unfortunately, would be felt long after the dust of the campaign has
settled. The BJP has in recent years mastered the art of pretending to
be the custodian of ethics in public life. This façade, however, stands
exposed after its stint in power as the steam engine of the NDA. There
are few in the country today who believe the claims of high standards of
the BJP. For all intents and purposes it is the Hindu face of the
Congress and a dangerous one at that. Today it is difficult to imagine
what the BJP would do to have its grievances addressed. Would it boycott
the President of Indian Republic, presuming Pratibha Patil wins, on the
plea that she has a tainted life? If not, then how would it go to greet
a person and present memorandums and appeals who has been the target of
a vicious campaign?
Long after there would be questions about what made BJP to continue with
a campaign that has hit the nadir of political behavior? Its desperation
to have Shekhawat in the Rashtrapati Bhawan can be appreciated but not
the fact that it has today launched such a vicious attack against Patil
that tomorrow it would not be possible for Advani and company to walk up
to her as President and express their genuine concerns. It would be
uncharitable to suggest that infighting within the BJP is so intense
that someone in charge of formulating strategy has sabotaged the current
party leadership by launching on a course of self destruction.
Nevertheless, the BJP would do itself tons of good by introspecting and
analyzing the damage that its campaign might have done to the highest
constitutional office in the country. It would be even more uncharitable
to suggest that there is a method in the madness of BJP and that it was
well planned move to denigrate the high office so that once again a
debate is raised regarding the need to have a presidential form of
government.
Those who stood up
1 Giani Zail Singh withheld assent to a bill passed by parliament that
gave sweeping power to the state to intercept mail. This was considered
as an encroachment on citizen’s freedom of speech &liberty as guaranteed
by the constitution.
2 Venkatraman withheld assent to a bill that gave pension benefits to
the outgoing parliament. It was considered to be an act of self
aggrandizement by the parliamentarians.
3 Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam sent back the office of profit bill of the UPA
government though being constitutionally correct he gave his assent when
it was presented to him the second time.
Electoral College
1 Majority mark is 548000 votes
2 NDA alliance total vote is 347000, short by large margin of
201000 votes.
3 NDA +third front= 347000+113000= 460000, still short by 88000
votes.
4 UPA-LEFT= 535000, Short By 13000 Votes.
BSP + UPA + LEFT 535000+60000=595000. Absolute majority
If BSP joins NDA+THIRD FRONT 460000+60000=520000, still short by 28000
In any case, arithmetically there is little chance for NDA.
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