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In 1997, when then Congress president Sitaram Kesri chased away H D Deve Gowda from the prime ministership, the front-runner as Deve Gowda's replacement was G K Moopanar who had the advantage of intensive networking with the Congress party. Had the shy leader from Tamil Nadu got selected, it would have been difficult for the Congress to keep away from the coalition. Such an entry would have ensured stability at the Centre.
Despite his obvious lack of charisma, Moopanar was an able politician who would have carried forward the liberalisation initiated by P V Narasimha Rao and to a large extent continued under Deve Gowda. However, he was sabotaged not by North India's politicians but by a fellow Tamil, M Karunanidhi, then chief minister of Tamil Nadu. In what I call the Karunanidhi Syndrome, the wily Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam leader ensured that another leader from his state did not surpass him.
In the days that followed, Communist Party of India general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet and Kesri ensured that the amiable I K Gujral -- Deve Gowda's external affairs minister -- succeeded Deve Gowda. Gujral was turfed out by Sonia Gandhi in just nine months. The lady was moving to finish off Kesri and did not want a friend of that supple-backboned politician to be prime minister.
Today, Maharashtra Governor P C Alexander is at the receiving end of Sonia's 'Karunanidhi Syndrome.' The lady is upset at the prospect of another Christian rising to a post higher than what which she has coveted since 1995, the prime minister of India. Like Karunanidhi in 1997, she is working feverishly to ensure that Dr Alexander's candidature gets derailed. In the process, she has reportedly assured support to a favourite of the Indian business community, Dr Laxmi Mal Singhvi.
While the advocate-turned-diplomat is now a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party he began his political career in the Swatantra Party, shifting to the Congress before moving on to the BJP. This did not stop Narasimha Rao from appointing him India's high commissioner in London. That did not prevent Dr Singhvi's entry into the BJP, even while ensuring that his son Abhishek is the Congress spokesman.
Several business families -- including West Bengal Governor and former Mukand Steel chairman Viren Shah's clan and the Hindujas -- would like nothing better than to see Dr Singhvi as the ruling National Democratic Alliance's choice for President.
At the May 11 NDA meeting, George Fernandes indicated that President K R Narayanan too was an option, but this was objected to by angry voices reminding the defence minister of the role played by the Rashtrapati in April 1999. At that time, despite the fact that the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had lost a vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha by a single vote, the President refused to allow the prime minister time to prove his majority, opting to invite Sonia to form a government. It was then clear that the NDA would oppose another term for Narayanan.
The Left parties are still trying to get Narayanan a second term in office. Communist Party of India general secretary A B Bardhan told Vajpayee it was his view that 'consensus' meant the NDA accept Narayanan for a second term. However, these efforts have not persuaded the BJP to reappoint a political foe to the Presidency. Hence, the switch to Dr Singhvi or to Vice-President Krishna Kant who has the backing of CPI-M leader Surjeet as the rival 'consensus' candidate.
Narayanan has been silent on whether he will contest an election, but despite the pressure on him to do so, those close to the scholar-President say he would not flout convention and tradition by opposing the prime minister's candidate.
Bardhan and Surjeet are on record as opposing Dr Alexander because he was a bureaucrat; they say the Presidency should be occupied by a politician. Clearly, they have forgotten that Narayanan too was a bureaucrat once, just as Dr Alexander was. The 'No Bureaucrat Except Narayanan' rule will also rule out A P J Abdul Kalam, the Bharat Ratna-winning former scientific adviser to the prime minister, whose candidature has been cited in some political circles.
The election for the 11th President of India
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