The Hindu : NDA dithers, Opposition wants Narayanan to contest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 10, 2002

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NDA dithers, Opposition wants Narayanan to contest

By Neena Vyas

Opposition leaders (from left) Sitaram Yechury, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, A.B. Bardhan, Manmohan Singh, Natwar Singh and Amar Singh briefing presspersons at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday . _Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI JUNE 9. The National Democratic Alliance meeting to formally discuss and announce the ruling coalition's presidential nominee was cancelled once again today after the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party chief, Chandrababu Naidu, failed to keep his date with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. And the Opposition parties met the President, K. R. Narayanan, in a bid to renew their request that he agree to contest for a second term.

There are indications that the NDA may make a formal announcement after June 13. Ostensibly, the time is to be used for a fresh round of discussions, specifically to "persuade'' Mr. Naidu to support the candidature of the Maharashtra Governor, P. C. Alexander, for the post of the President. Coincidentally, by June 13, the outcome of the vote of confidence sought by the Deshmukh Government in Maharashtra would also be known.

Even as there was confusion in the NDA ranks — for the second consecutive day, a formal meeting failed to materialise — the Opposition leaders, Manmohan Singh and Natwar Singh (Congress), Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), A. B. Bardhan (CPI) and Amar Singh (Samajwadi Party), met Mr. Narayanan this evening to formally request him to be their candidate for the ensuing presidential polls.

Emerging from the meeting, they said that Mr. Narayanan had indicated that he would think about their request. Mr. Amar Singh said that the Opposition would be "firm as a rock'' on the issue and would stand united, contrary to reports that there was a division within their ranks.

Later, the Congress spokesperson, Jaipal Reddy, also said that it was a "disgrace'' that the NDA had been unable to announce its presidential candidate. If the ruling alliance were to wait till June 13, "it would expose their game completely.'' The bottomline for the Opposition is that if Mr. Alexander is the NDA nominee, it would like Mr. Narayanan to contest.

On Saturday, after urgent telephone calls to Mr. Naidu by the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, it was claimed that he would be here today and would meet the Prime Minister before the NDA meeting. When reports first came that Mr. Naidu might not come, apparently there was another round of frantic calls to him from several Cabinet Ministers. Throughout the day, there were strategy meetings at the residences of Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani and by evening, NDA sources claimed that Mr. Naidu would arrive here tomorrow.

After the TDP leader's meeting with Mr. Vajpayee three days ago, the signal was that the NDA nominee for the President's office would be the Vice-President, Krishna Kant. The TDP was anxious to evolve a consensus, especially against the backdrop of tensions on the India-Pakistan border. It was willing to support Mr. Kant and there was a very good chance that the Congress and the other Opposition parties would go along with a consensus on Mr. Kant. But at a meeting with the Prime Minister on Saturday, some Cabinet Ministers wanted the BJP to have "its own man'' in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and Mr. Alexander's name was specifically being pushed by the Maharashtra lobby in the BJP as well as the Shiv Sena. It is being claimed that Mr. Vajpayee would like the presidential nominee to be jointly announced by the NDA and its supporting parties such as the TDP. This would mean that unless further discussions take place with Mr. Naidu, the NDA cannot move forward. The Opposition party leaders have pointed out that in the current state of instability in Maharashtra — the Deshmukh Government is desperately trying to avoid a fall — Mr. Alexander will naturally play an important role.

They are aghast that the carrot of nomination for the President's post is being openly dangled by the NDA before Mr. Alexander just when he may be called upon to play a crucial role in Maharashtra, where the BJP-Shiv Sena combine has openly displayed its desire to stake claim to form an alternative government.

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