Rohit lists down prime ministerial candidates for the upcoming general elections in India. Basically there are three: Manmohan Singh, LK Advani and Mayawati. While Singh and Advani are the declared candidates of their respective coalitions, Mayawati might emerge as the candidate of the third front if either UPA and NDA fail to garner enough seats for government formation.
Congress very cleverly floated the name of Rahul Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate just to test the waters. Pronouncements of support for Gandhi came from party leaders and senior ministers. It was helped with the ascension of Omar Abdullah as the chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir who is also young like Gandhi and scion of a political dynasty. Once satisfied that the idea has got enough traction Sonia Gandhi herself came out to confirm that Manmohan Singh would indeed by the Congress nominee and Rahul “can wait”.
Manmohan Singh hasn’t yet confirmed if he will fight the general elections. Singh has only fought general elections once in 1999 when he lost the South Delhi seat to VK Malhotra. Singh currently is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam and his tenure will expire in 2013. It will be interesting to see if he actually decides to fight Lok Sabha elections and if he does, which state and which seat. If he doesn’t then the opposition parties will legitimately make an issue out of it.
LK Advani having waited for this moment for so long and having moderated his stance through years to be more acceptable had his position unexpectedly challenged by a 85 year old BS Shekhwat. Then there were the industrialists who came out in support of Narendra Modi and Modi took four days to deny that he isn’t a candidate this time around. BJP also is facing a revolt from Kalyan Singh who switched parties to join hands with Samajwadi Party and partnership with Shiv Sena is under threat on the Belgaum issue. And all this following less than stellar performance of the party in the recenly concluded state elections!
Mayawati is one of the smartest politicians in India. IMHO one of the reasons she broke her alliance with the Congress was to hedge her bets for the 2009 elections. She tested BSP’s mettle on its own in the assembly elections and performed decently at the hustings. Also, had she fought general elections as part of UPA then she would have to kiss her prime ministerial ambitions good-bye. UPA, as Manoj Tiwary strongly rebuffed NCP’s shout-out for Sharad Pawar, already has the position filled. Mayawati is keeping her options open and her best bet is to emerge as the consensus leader of the third front in case of a really hung parliament. Parties that might go with her are TDP, either AIDMK or DMK, AGP, either JDS or JDU, TRS. Possibly Left front with outside support. Parties that will not go with her are RJD, LJP, SP and Shiv Sena. NC and Akali Dal seem unlikely.
We sure are in for a few very interesting months.
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Any one for Pranab-da..Pranab Mukerjee ??
He has done a good job with Defense/External Affairs portfolio but I don’t see him coming up as a PM candidate especially if MMS is around.
U r right. It is highly unlikely that he will be the PM. Pranab-da is not known to be close to the “First family” and I am afraid he will perhaps be the best PM we never had !!
Behenji Mayawati is strong contender for Prime Ministership and has also possible chance for the same. Dalit people, tribals, OBCs, religious minorities and even from upper castes people of the country will definitely wish her becoming the next PM of India which will certainly make a historical milestone in a country like India deeply infested with caste system. Let us prove that we are really becoming a Super Power shortly and show the World that we can do so !
Dawa T. Lepcha
Chandigarh
I personally think that UPA should come back to power again and although Mayawati is powerful in UP, it is difficult for her to become PM. One of the big hurdles could be her image of a difficult lady unlike Gujral / Deve Gowda and hence alliance partners will not be so willing to cooperate.
If UPA comes back to power, it should be either Manmohan Singh / Pranab Mukherjee. In fact after the Mumbai attack, the UPA govt ministers look really good — Chidambram as Home Minister has brought a sense of urgency and Pranab Mukherjee as External Affairs is doing a good job in creating international pressure on Pakistan without going to war over it.
The BJP looks demoralised and lacking any agenda; further the second generation of BJP leaders which were supposed to be better than Congress once upon a time do not look as good as the 2nd gen congress leaders in the current situation.
i think that UPA should come back again power.. but it is not good party. they dont worry about country.
The UPA did its best in the ceircumstances they are in. Obviously NDA is demoralised and with anti-incumbancy the feild is is wide open as in 1989-91. Every reasonal satrap can dream of becomin The primeministrial candidate. probable breif interlude of reasonal leaders like Sharad Powar with congress left support not ruled out