NEW DELHI, 7 July — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s multiparty coalition is virtually set to see its nominee through to the office of the country’s vice president in an election due next month. The opposition yesterday admitted its candidate would fail to win the Aug. 12 election since it lacks a majority in the electoral college comprising 790 MPs of both houses of Parliament.
No candidates have yet been announced. July 24 is the last date for filing nominations.
Although both sides insist they would want a consensus, the chances of a contest are high. Vajpayee’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which heads the ruling alliance, has said it would not discuss its choice with the opposition. The opposition says it would not let Vajpayee’s nominee go unchallenged if it is not consulted but acknowledges the fight would only be symbolic.
“Yes, it (Vajpayee’s coalition) has a majority in Parliament but we will not be bulldozed by the BJP,” main opposition Congress party leader Anil Shastri said. “We have begun consultations to pick our own candidate.”
Congress yesterday said it would field a candidate after talks with like-minded parties in view of the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani’s statement ruling out a consensual approach for a common candidate.
But Communist Party of India (CPI) secretary D. Raja said: “The ruling coalition has the parliamentary majority to win the vice presidential election. But we will not agree to a BJP nominee as a matter of principle.” The Aug. 12 election has been called to pick a successor to Vice President Krishan Kant whose five-year term expires Aug. 20.
The only way Vajpayee’s yet-to-be-chosen nominee can lose is if some allies in his coalition refuse to back that candidate.
But the chances of that happening are seen as remote. Vajpayee’s entire coalition has already backed his choice of eminent scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for the post of president in an election being held July 15.
