After extending a last-minute and much deliberated support to PA Sangma
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition political party of
India,
ensured that the 14th Presidential Elections to indirectly elect the
13th President of India was going to be a contest. Pranab Mukherjee,
the former Finance Minister who was given a rousing farewell on 26th
June, 2012, Vs PA Sangma, a political leader from North East India and the
former speaker of the lower house of Parliament.
Both of the Presidential candidates filed their nomination papers today.
Flanked by the Prime Minister, the Congress President, many other Congress
leaders and prominent leaders belonging to the political parties in the ruling
coalition, Pranab Mukherjee filed his nomination in the morning in New Delhi. Talking to
reporters afterwards the stalwart Congress leader and also a consistent trouble
shooter for the ruling coalition expressed his gratitude for the honor and
thanked all political parties for extending support to him. He said he would
start poll campaign after June 30 till 15th of July.
After about two hours PA Sangma filed his nomination papers. He was
flanked by the top BJP leaders, leaders of other supporting parties and
prominent leaders from the North East. In his press briefing Sangma reiterated
his commitment to over 100 million tribal population of the country and hoped
for support from other parties.
Two ironical elements are involved in this Presidential Poll. The people
of West Bengal would have rejoiced as a whole
at the prospect of the first ever Bengali President, but for Mamata Bannerji…!
The people of the Meghalaya would have celebrated for the first ever
Presidential candidate from this hilly state of North East India and in fact,
the North East in totality would have been a happier lot at the prospect of
having another President after the brief tenure of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
(originally from Assam and President in 1974 till his death in 1977), if only
Sangma’s candidature was properly carried forward. Sangma’s party, the
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), opposed him vehemently rather than proposing.
Being forced to resign from the NCP Sangma asserted his ‘non-political’
identity while his coalition-Minister daughter and sons who were still active
members of the same party started campaigning for him and are still doing so.
Anyway, the contest is on. Last date for nominations is June 30 after
which campaigning starts. Polling date is July 19 and the results will be out
on July 22. The electoral college consisting of the members of the Parliament
and the state assemblies and members of other legislative councils has a
strength of over 1 million votes. Pranab Mukherjee seems to be heading for a
landslide victory with about 700,000 votes in his favor.
The citizens of Indian would hope the electoral process to steer clear of
lobbying and dirty politicking in the coming days.
