The Congress has emerged as a “master of strategy” once again as everything went as per the script. The SP’s so-called alliance with Ms Mamata Banerjee compelled the UPA to announce Mr Pranab Mukherjee’s name. The UPA remained intact, barring the TMC, while the SP and the BSP backed Mr Mukherjee’s candidature unconditionally.
This will be perhaps the first election since 1997 which does not have the suspense element and a dark horse. The election of K.R. Narayanan (1997), Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (2002) and Ms Pratibha Patil (2007) had a surprise element.
Mr Mukherjee, the 77-year-old veteran Congress leader, currently finance minister, with 43 years of parliamentary experience, was named by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at a meeting of the leaders of the Congress and the alliance partners, including DMK, NCP, National Conference, RLD, and IUML, ending months of speculation. “Leaders of the constituent parties of the UPA met. It was decided to propose Pranab Mukherjee as candidate for the office of the President of India,” Mrs Gandhi said at the meeting that lasted nearly an hour at the PM’s 7, Race Course Road residence here.
Mrs Gandhi put the name of Mr Mukherjee, and it was approved by the alliance leaders.
She read out a statement at the meeting which said Mr Pranab Mukherjee has a long and distinguished record of public service spanning over five decades.
“There is broad support for his candidature. The UPA appeals to all the political parties and all MPs and MLAs to support the candidature of Mukherjee for the office of President,” she said.
Mrs Gandhi’s announcement was greeted by a round of applause from leaders of allied parties.
Home minister P. Chidambaram and DMK leader T.R. Baalu presented golden shawls to Mr Mukherjee and to the PM and Mrs Gandhi.
The meeting was attended by Dr Manmohan Singh, Mr Sharad Pawar and Mr Praful Patel (NCP), Mr Ajit Singh (RLD), Mr T.R. Baalu (DMK) and Mr Omar Abdullah (NC), among others.
Mr Mukherjee and his Cabinet colleagues P. Chidambaram, A.K. Antony and Pawan Bansal were also present at the meet. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel was also present.
Given that Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is unlikely to stand now, the election will be a cakewalk for Mr Mukherjee. The only other candidate, Mr P.A. Sangma, is still insisting on contesting, recalling that he has been supported by AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik. His own party NCP, however, was pressing him to withdraw which he was stubbornly refused.
With the support of the SP and the BSP, the UPA candidate is in a position to garner nearly half of the total vote value of 10,98,882. On its own, the UPA has a vote value of 4.12 lakh after deducting the TMC’s 48,049. But the addition of 1.12 lakh vote value of the SP (68,812) and the BSP (43,349) will take the vote value of the UPA to 5.24 lakh. This leaves the ruling alliance with a slight deficit of 25,000 vote value, assuming all other parties are ranged against the UPA candidate.
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) also congratulated Mr Mukherjee for being chosen as the UPA candidate but said it will decide on the issue of supporting him after consulting other Left parties.
Mr Mukherjee thanked Mrs Gandhi for nominating him as the UPA candidate and said he has accepted the offer with humility. “I am deeply honoured on my nomination as the candidate for the election to the office of President of India by my party and UPA-2. I am grateful to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for this recognition. I accept this offer with all humility,” he told reporters at his office here.
He said, “In my long political career spanning over five decades, I have been fortunate to receive the love, affection and confidence of my party colleagues and also the members and leaders of all political parties. I am deeply indebted to them. I will now again seek their indulgence and support for the next few weeks.”
“We have requested all political parties to lend their support,” he added.
On who will replace him as finance minister, Mr Mukherjee said, “It is up to the Prime Minister to decide who will be the next finance minister... The Congress president and the Prime Minister will decide. do not think I am depository of all knowledge and expertise. In our government and in our party there are a number of people who can handle difficult economic situation. The Prime Minister himself is an eminent economist and under his stewardship we will overcome this temporary crisis.”