NEW DELHI, 17 July — A bitter race is likely over the choice of the new vice president with former Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat tipped to file his nomination as the ruling coalition’s nominee.
While Shekhawat, a senior leader of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserted yesterday that he could win the support of all parties, the opposition firmly turned its back on him.
The opposition parties asserted they would not accept Shekhawat or any nominee of Vajpayee’s BJP-led coalition and instead field their own candidate. Elections will be held Aug. 12 to pick a successor to Vice President Krishan Kant, whose five-year term expires Aug. 20. Shekhawat, who emerged as Vajpayee’s choice for the post, has indicated he will file his nomination for the post tomorrow.
Any candidate fielded by the ruling coalition is certain to become the country’s next vice president as the ruling parties have a majority in the combined houses of Parliament. Brushing aside the opposition’s rejection, Shekhawat said: “I have always believed that in politics there are no enemies, there are only opponents. I can challenge you that you will find my opponents, but you will not come across anyone who is my enemy in politics.” Shekhawat, 78, is a veteran BJP leader whose association with Vajpayee and his deputy L.K. Advani dates back to the days of the Janaa Sangh, the BJP’s predecessor.
A former policeman, he was chief minister of Rajasthan for a total 10 years. He last headed a BJP government in the desert state 1993-98 until Sonia Gandhi’s Congress party routed the BJP in assembly elections. He is currently the leader of the opposition in the state assembly.
“We are absolutely opposed to Shekhawat or any nominee the BJP will try to force upon the nation,” Congress MP P.R. Dasmunshi said yesterday.
Although the opposition admits that a BJP nominee would most likely win, it is unwilling to give up without a fight.
The Congress had only grudgingly backed Vajpayee’s presidential nominee A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who is virtually certain to win Monday’s balloting and become India’s 11th president from July 25, succeeding incumbent K.R. Narayanan.
The Congress support for Kalam even drove a wedge in opposition unity, as the Left parties put up freedom struggle veteran Capt. Lakshmi Sahgal against the scientist. That opposition unity could return for the vice presidential contest.
Said Dasmunshi: “There will be a bitter fight this time. We are consulting other opposition parties to identify our candidate. The Congress has reportedly sounded out parties about jointly fielding a nominee, preferably from the socially underprivileged sections.
The Communists too indicated they are ready to put the presidential election behind them and join hands with the Congress and former Defense Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party for the vice presidential contest. Mulayam has said he would oppose any BJP candidate.
