Shekhawat suffers worst defeat in 55 yr career

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, July 21: Winning accolades even from his detractors for his non-partisan handling of the Rajya Sabha as its Chairman, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat today suffered what may perhaps be his worst-ever defeat in his over half-a-century-long political career in the 13th presidential election.

Currently Vice President, Shekhawat, 84, contested as an NDA-backed Independent candidate against UPA-Left's Pratibha Patil.

Despite his influence and friends across the political spectrum, he could not swing any non-NDA party to support his candidature, or even get support from the newly-set-up 'United National Progressive Alliance',' which chose to abstain from voting.

However, in a last-minute twist, the AIADMK, a leading constituent of the 'Third Front,' came out to vote for him, creating ripples in other UNPA constituents like the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), and to a lesser extent, in the Telugu Desam Party and the Samajwadi Party. However, this was too less to offset the numerical superiority his UPA-Left rival enjoyed.

A three-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Mr Shekhawat's political career was mostly spent in his home state, before he took over as Vice President in 2002. He was a member of the state assembly from 1952 to 2002, with a five year hiatus between 1972 and 1977, during which he was a member of the Rajya Sabha from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.

Born on October 23, 1923, he did his schooling upto High School but could not complete his college education due to the death of his father. Shekhawat joined the police in 1942 -- at the height of the Quit India movement -- and rose to the rank of Sub Inspector. In 1952, he joined the Jan Sangh and made his foray into politics, getting elected to the assembly in the state's first election that year. Believing passionately that the land must belong to the tillers, he wholeheartedly supported the Jagirdari Abolition and Resumption Bill and pressed for early and effective land reforms.

Shekhwat came close to taking over power when the Jana Sangh and the Swatantra Party came close to a majority in the 1967 elections, but could not, however, come to power.

Imprisoned during the Emergency, he led the Janata Party to victory in the 1977 elections and took over as the first non-Congress Chief Minister of the state in June that year. Under his guidance, a number of innovative developmental programmes, including Antyodaya, Food for Work and Apna Gaon Apna Kaam, with focus on poverty alleviation, were launched. The success of the Antyodaya programme led to then World Bank President Robert McNamara describing him as a ''Second Rockfeller'' during a visit to the country in September 1979.

When all the non-Congress governments were dismissed in 1980 after the return of Indira Gandhi, Shekhawat was the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly till 1990. He led the BJP to victory in the 1990 elections, taking over as the Chief Minister for the second time and serving till December 15, 1992, when the BJP governments were dismissed by the PV Narasimha Rao government in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition.

But he led his party back to power in consequent elections in December 1993 and became the Chief Minister for the third time.

However, the BJP went down to a resurgent Congress in the 1998 elections and Mr Shekhawat went back to being the Leader of Opposition, holding the post till August 2002.

Nominated as the NDA's candidate for Vice President that year, he defeated his Congress rival, Sushilkumar Shinde (who had also started his public career as a Police Sub-Inspector).

What rattled the Opposition that Mr Shekhawat had got quite a few votes from the opposition's kitty.

Lauded by both then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and then Leader of the Opposition, Dr Manmohan Singh in their speeches welcoming him as the Rajya Sabha Chairman on November 20, 2002, Shekhawat gained plaudits from both treasury and opposition benches throughout his Chairmanship of the House. On the conclusion of the 201st Session of Rajya Sabha on June 10, 2004, the then Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad praised him for his ''dynamic'' leadership and stressed the confidence all sides had in him.

However, Shekhawat came under a cloud for quietly voicing his desire to succeed Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, and held discussions with various sections on the topic. But he was not amenable to either the Congress or the Left due to his RSS links and this has obviously led to his defeat in the Presidential poll.


UNI

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