New Delhi: The UPA on Friday announced Pranab Mukherjee as its Presidential candidate, bringing the curtains down on a scintillating political drama that began in the national capital on Wednesday with Mamata Banerjee drawing the first blood. It is now a foregone conclusion that the veteran Congressman Pranab will be country's next President. In this political brinksmanship, Congress seems to be emerging the winner with Mamata failing to hold together her alliance with Mulayam Singh Yadav who gave in to the pressures of the Congress. Matters for Mamata-Mulayam worsened as their candidate, the former president APJ Abdul Kalam
put forward his condition that he would join the race only if the SP-TMC combine can guarantee 55 per cent votes in the electoral college. Who is Pranab Mukherjee? UPA declares Pranab as candidate |Mayawati backs Pranab | I am grateful to Sonia, says Pranab "Pranab Mukherjee has a distinguished career in public service spanning over five decades...I propose his name for the office of the President," UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi moved the proposal in the UPA meet. Congress outsmarts Mamata For the first time in the recent past, Congress stood up to the pressures of Mamata as it resolutely worked with its allies and even Left to ensure Pranab had a far wider acceptability. Pranab himself spoke to the leaders of Left in the Bengal unit – Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Biman Bose – who assured the finance minister that Left would not go with NDA or any other group. In 1996, veteran Left leader and three-time Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu had a chance to become the prime minister of a Third Front government. But other CPM leaders then, led by Prakash Karat, turned the offer down for the fear of losing the government mid-term. Basu would
put forward his condition that he would join the race only if the SP-TMC combine can guarantee 55 per cent votes in the electoral college. Who is Pranab Mukherjee? UPA declares Pranab as candidate |Mayawati backs Pranab | I am grateful to Sonia, says Pranab "Pranab Mukherjee has a distinguished career in public service spanning over five decades...I propose his name for the office of the President," UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi moved the proposal in the UPA meet. Congress outsmarts Mamata For the first time in the recent past, Congress stood up to the pressures of Mamata as it resolutely worked with its allies and even Left to ensure Pranab had a far wider acceptability. Pranab himself spoke to the leaders of Left in the Bengal unit – Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Biman Bose – who assured the finance minister that Left would not go with NDA or any other group. In 1996, veteran Left leader and three-time Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu had a chance to become the prime minister of a Third Front government. But other CPM leaders then, led by Prakash Karat, turned the offer down for the fear of losing the government mid-term. Basu would
Pranab Mukherjee rarely shows emotions but this time it is different.
have become the first Leftist and Bengali to become the Prime Minister of India. Critics had called the CPM's decision a short-sighted one and Basu later himself called it a "historic blunder". Left seems to be standing on the same cross roads today and would not like to repeat the "historic blunder". Pranab also gets support from Mayawati's BSP. Pranab Mukherjee rarely shows emotions but this time it is different.In all likelihood, APJ Abdul Kalam will not contest and the BJP-led NDA's meet on Friday at LK Advani's residence remained inconclusive after JD(U) raised objections to supporting Kalam. Pranab Mukherjee is likely to resign as finance minister on June 24 and file his nomination on June 25. Mamata's future in UPA uncertain This bridge crossed, Congress now faces more serious challenge politically – that of Mamata pulling out of the UPA. The rift between Mamata and Congress was sharp in the recent weeks following her opposition to all proposals of economic reforms and her public demonstration against petrol price hike. But on Wednesday it reached a flash point when Mamata met Sonia Gandhi who informed the TMC leader of UPA's two choice for the Presidential race – Pranab and Hamid Ansari. Congress claims Sonia-Mamata discussion was confidential and the TMC leader was supposed to get back to her after discussions with Mulayam. Not only Mamata made public to waiting media the names discussed in her meeting with Sonia, she went on to hold a joint press conference with Mulayam just an hour later to reject Pranab and Ansari and announce three other names, including Kalam and Manmohan Singh. Congress was stunned the way prime minister's name was being taken without his consent and the way Mamata rejected their supreme leader Sonia Gandhi's proposal. If Mamata pulls out of the UPA, the government faces no immediate threat with both SP and BSP giving outside support. But both parties are known for putting conditions or extracting their own gains from the government. This may be of little help in pulling the government from the paralysis it is in at this point. The other challenge – though internal – for Manmohan Singh is to find a new finance minister. In race are his chief economic advisor C Rangarajan, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Union commerce minister Anand Sharma and rural development minister Jairam Ramesh. It is also likely that the prime minister may keep the portfolio with him for now. The polling for the President – comprising members from both Houses of Parliament and all state assemblies – will be held on July 19 and counting will be on July 22, the day Pranab could once again become the boss of his former junior in finance ministry Dr Manmohan Singh.Source: Newsbullet
