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Modi will not be bullied in choice of President

With the elections looming the opposition is trying to get its candidate elected

By Prabhpreet
|
Google Oneindia News

As the latest news related to the election for the post of President which are set to take place before President Pranab Mukherjee's term comes to an end in July pouring in, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar's name has again popped up.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The NCP supremo was earlier reported to have met Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, to discuss a possible consensus leader from the opposition who the BJP government would have to appoint, especially if some of its allies like the Shiv Sena vote for the opposition's choice.

Like Pawar, JD-U leader Sharad Pawar and a second term for President Mukherjee are the options that have come forward recently, which could also seal the deal for the opposition.
But the opposition is living in a fool's paradise if they think they will be able to hoodwink the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Especially now, when both Modi and the saffron party are at an unprecedented high.

Pawar could well have been elected, given the support he enjoys across party lines, including with the prime minister, but the manner in which such an attempt is being played out would now make it improbable.

As the numbers stand at present the BJP will need support from the either the BJD or the AIADMK to get its choice into the Rashtriyapati Bhavan. The oppositions calculations depend on the hope that the Shiv Sena would break rank and not vote for the NDA's choice, making the BJP fall further short of the numbers required to get its candidate elected.

But even if push comes to shove, and the unlikely eventuality that the BJP may really fear falling short of votes when it actually comes to getting its first choice elected, Modi will not be bullied into electing the candidate of the opposition's choice.

He might in those circumstances turn to use the opposition's own trick on them. He might name a candidate who has all the qualities of a consensus candidate but would clearly be seen as his own choice.

In turn it will force the oppositions in having to support his choice, which would be someone who too enjoys support across party lines and would be difficult for the opposition to support without hurting its own image.

And his choice could very well be a leader like the current External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, who checks all the attributes mentioned above. Choosing her would be a case very similar to that of when Pranab Mukherjee's name was put forward by the Congress in 2012.

With her health not keeping well, she just had a kidney transplant, it might be an ideal assignment for her. In addition, she too enjoys as much goodwill across parties as any other names mentioned till now, if not more, and she is also hugely popular with the public especially given her twitter friendly working style.

She is just an example of a candidate who fulfils Modi's criteria from within the political arena, a lot of similar choices also exist in different fields outside of it, which could create an effect similar to what former President APJ Abdul Kalam did as previous NDA government's choice in 2002.

In the end, the election of the new President is going to be a game where the opposition is going to try to embarrass the ruling dispensation. A win that it desperately needs following the recent drubbings in elections since 2014. But this would also make it a matter of pride for Modi, who will not let his hand be forced and let the narrative get away from him.

OneIndia News

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