The BJP is set to mull over its candidate for India’s President post in the second week of June, say sources. last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have held discussions with senior leaders and at least four senior ministers. Sources say that in this meeting, the name of Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu was discussed for the post.
Murmu is from Odisha and has been active in politics for the past 20 years. She was an MlA and a minister in Odisha, and got the best MlA award from the Odisha Assembly. She has also been a part of the BJP’s tribal unit. Her, father Viranchi Narayan Tudu, has also been a public figure. When Murmu joined politics, she occupied several important posts, right from the district to the State level.
If things go in her favour, Murmu will be the first tribal and second woman President of our country. Sources in the BJP say that there can be consensus on her name. No party will oppose her as she is a tribal leader. There is another aspect too: Parties from tribal dominated States will automatically support Murmu’s name. Hence, for the BJD, the party which is in power in Odisha, the JMM, the main Opposition party in Jharkhand, and the TMC of West Bengal, it will be a compulsion to support Murmu’s name.
In Chhattisgarh, there can be a revolt in the Congress. Murmu doesn’t have an image of a hardcore Hindu leader. This must be noted that if the BJP fields any hardcore leader, the Opposition might gang up and press for its own candidate. However, Murmu’s name is not final, and another name could also be pitched at the last minute.
FINAl SOlUTION FOR KASHMIR
The largest Opposition party of the country is worried after Rajnath Singh’s oft-repeated statement that the Government will find a “final solution for the Kashmir problem”. The Congress is puzzled over Modi Government’s probable “final solution”. Party spokesperson Manish Tewari has said that when there is talk of a final solution, the result doesn’t happen to be good. So, the Congress wants to know what Rajnath means by a “final solution”.
The Government is also not saying anything openly. But under a particular strategy, the phrase “final solution” is being repeated. The BJP leaders are saying that the Government is taking a “homeopathy” route to cure the problem of Kashmir. In homeopathy, the ailment is aggravated first and then it is cured from the roots. The Government is doing the same vis-Ã -vis Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP leaders are claiming that if a temporary solution is to be sought, then the Government can do it immediately. But then the result wouldn’t be permanent. That is why the Government is waiting for the right time. Appointment of a new Governor of J&K might just be the first step and after that a permanent solution will be tried out. After the biennial elections of the Rajya Sabha, which are scheduled for the next year, the BJP will become stronger and the Congress will become even weaker. By that time, the President and Governor might aid the BJP’s agenda, and only then can the Government take any initiative.
CONGRESS’S DUAl STRATEGY
The Congress is in a Catch 22 situation over Jammu and Kashmir. Its leaders are not able to understand whether to go with the Army and Government or to oppose them. That is why party leaders are giving different statements. The Congress feels that the message of Kashmir will go to the entire country, so it is treading carefully. But at the same time, the party is taking care of its local vote bank too.
As per its strategy, the Congress has created two sets of leaders to tackle this. One set supports the decisions of the Army and Government, while the other set opposes them. When the Congress spokespersons brief the media, they follow a different path, and when they tweet or talk to journalists, they sing a different tune.
Recently, when Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat supported Major leetul Gogoi, who had tied a stone-pelter to his jeep, and said that new ways were required to tackle new types of war in Kashmir, then Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari supported him. During his regular briefing, he said that the Army must win the hearts of people also. But senior leader of the Congress, P Chidambaram, opposed the Army’s stand. He said that it was not good to talk about dirty war in Kashmir, adding that the Army Chief had done wrong. In the same manner, Digvijaya Singh had also opposed the stand taken by Major Gogoi.
HOPE FOR YADAV lEADERS
The rising problems of lalu Prasad Yadav have given a new thrust to the expectations of Yadav leaders of the BJP. Recently, lalu’s family faced many hurdles one after another. On one hand, the Supreme Court gave its verdict allowing lalu to be prosecuted in all cases separately, and on the other hand, his family members are embroiled in DA cases. The Income Tax Department has sent a summon to Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar. It is also being said that the DA and black money cases might be handed over to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
This could in turn help the BJP’s Yadav leaders get promotions. Sources say that as per the strategy of Amit Shah and Modi, the Yadav vote bank will be given prominence. They feel that though the Yadavs of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh gave their support to lalu and Akhilesh Yadav in the Assembly Elections, they would go with the BJP in the lok Sabha Elections.
Now the question is which BJP leader will get whatIJ Rajya Sabha MP Bhupender Yadav is the general secretary of the party and in-charge of Bihar. Apart from that, he is the member of Shah’s core team. He could be given a ministerial berth at the Centre. This might give a positive message to the Yadav vote bank in Bihar and UP, as he handles Yadavs of these two States.
Apart from him, many Yadav leaders from Bihar also have high hopes. One of them is Nityanand Rai, the State president, and another one is Ram Kripal Yadav, a minister at the Centre. It is also being speculated that Ram Kripal might be promoted. He had defeated lalu’s daughter Misa in the last lok Sabha Elections. Madhubani MP Hukmdev Narayan Yadav’s name was also discussed for vice-president’s post, but nothing came of it. After the death of Ram Naresh Yadav, the Raj Bhavan of Bhopal is also vacant. It is being said that when Governors will be appointed after some time, this equation will be taken care of.