NEW DELHI, 1 June — The opposition was preparing for a fresh strategy yesterday after the ruling coalition made it clear that it would not back President K.R. Narayanan for a second five-year term in July.
Opposition parties, in particular the Congress party and the left, that favored an extension to Narayanan are expected to discuss if he could still win a contest after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee delivered a snub to the president. Although the presidential elections must be held in the next eight weeks, the political parties are far from achieving a consensus on who should be the next head of state, particularly at a time of India-Pakistan tensions.
Both the Congress and the Communists were of the opinion that Narayanan deserved a second term because of his vast experience and his background as a member of the socially disadvantaged Dalit caste.
Vajpayee reportedly told the president at a one-on-one meeting here late Thursday that his coalition did not favor a second term for him because it was against convention for incumbent presidents to get a second term in office. The only exception was the first president, Rajendra Prasad.
The prime minister’s categorical rejection of Narayanan’s candidature means the opposition must decide whether it wants a showdown over the presidential election and prop up Narayanan or rework its strategy. Congress sources said party chief Sonia Gandhi was expected to discuss the issue within the party and with other opposition leaders. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), the second biggest opposition grouping in the Lok Sabha, is to hold a meeting to discuss its strategy, party sources said yesterday. The decision by Vajpayee’s coalition, which is known to have reservations about Narayanan, has heightened chances of a contest for the country’s top job — if the incumbent decides to contest with the backing of sections of the opposition.
Narayanan, 81, is a former Congress politician who sections of the prime minister’s Hindu extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) feel has undue sympathies for Sonia. His supporters, however, assert that he is a fair-minded person who has taken all decisions on merit.
Although Narayanan has said he would go for a second term only if all parties wanted him, he reportedly told Sonia last week that he could agree to a contest should the numbers favor him.
So the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is trying to enlist the support of major parties like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and AIADMK to ensure that its nominee wins the coming presidential elections, sources said here yesterday.
As of now, Vajpayee’s coalition has a thin but distinct advantage over the opposition in the complex electoral college that comprises MPs from both houses of Parliament and members of state assemblies across the country.
Already, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which professes to champion the cause of the Dalit cause, has come out against Narayanan. Most members of the Vajpayee coalition are also against him. A major opposition party, the Samajwadi Party, is also opposed to Narayanan, but the party General Secretary Amar Singh said his party was yet to convene a meeting on the matter. “A clear decision on the issue will be announced after the meeting,” Singh said.
Besides the Congress and Communists, those in favor of Narayanan include former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and former Coal Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
