'Cong attempting to have a subservient President'

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Jun 15: Reacting sharply to the UPA's decision to make Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil its Presidential nominee, the BJP today said the the Congress seems to be graduating towards having a ''subservient President after a captive Prime Minister''.

BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad claimed that for the first time the Presidential candidate was chosen ''not for her capacity but for her caste and her being married to a Shekhawat and her loyalty to the first family of Congress''. Clarifying that the BJP had nothing against Mrs Patil, he said that the surrounding circumstances and the situation showed that the caste was the major consideration.

Many in the country are coming to know about her when the Left parties had prescribed their own yard stick about the candidature for the next President, he said, adding that among other things, the Left expected the next President to be political personality of 'national stature'. "We leave it to the judgement of the people of the country if their yardstick has been fulfilled", he said.

Mr Prasad said that when people rang him up for a reaction, he was ''confused'' if it was Pratibha Patil or another senior Congress leader from Maharashtra. "I am not a loner, many top leaders are still confused", he claimed.

Asked if the BJP and the NDA would be fielding candidate, he said the NDA will take a decision in June 18 when they are scheduled to meet. "NDA Chairman Atal Bihari Vajpayee had expressed his feelings when he told Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that their call come very late in the day", he noted.

To a question about NDA allies Janata Dal (United) and Shiv Sena dilly dallying on their support to the NDA nominee, he said one should not forget the fact that the credentials as anti-Congress outfits were 'absolutely impeccable'. "They will be with us", he said.

Questioned if this presidential polls will be as bitter as 1969 Presidential polls, Mr Prasad said the situations are not similar.

''Then it was a case of split within a political party where the PM backed out after proposing the name of Congress nominee Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and went on to support Vice President V V Giri and seek votes on 'conscience,'' he pointed out.

UNI

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