After having denied him the chance to be President in 2012, the United Progressive Alliance did the next best thing in offering Hamid Ansari another term as Vice-President. With the support of the Left parties, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, the UPA holds enough votes in both Houses of Parliament to ensure a smooth sailing for the soft-spoken and erudite scholar-diplomat in the election for Vice-President. Political compulsions played their part in the Congress, and thereafter, the UPA, deciding to go with Pranab Mukherjee in the presidential election. Mr. Ansari was never ruled out in the calculations and the confabulations; he was just not ruled in. By nominating him for another term, the UPA is seeking to underscore this very fact. Indeed, the Congress initially projected both Mr. Ansari and Mr. Mukherjee as options for the UPA partners to reach a consensus on, but Mr. Mukherjee won that round. When elected, Mr. Ansari will be only the second Vice-President to get a second term; the country’s first Vice-President, S. Radhakrishnan, was the first.
Not unexpectedly, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National Democratic Alliance it heads have chosen to force a contest by nominating former External Affairs and Finance Minister Jaswant Singh for the post of Vice-President. Mr. Singh, who is eminently qualified for the job, stands no chance of winning, but for the BJP this is an opportunity to try and keep its alliance together after the divisions that emerged within the NDA in choosing the candidate for the President’s post. Unlike in the presidential election, when both the Janata Dal (United) and the Shiv Sena differed with the BJP, now all the NDA partners are united in backing Mr. Singh. Actually, the BJP, perhaps as a placatory measure, first offered to back JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav in the election. Mr. Yadav, a seasoned political campaigner who cannot think of staying away from active politics, declined, and the choice fell on Mr. Singh, who doubtless saw in this an opportunity to cement his already formidable credentials as a statesman within the NDA. Curiously, the NDA’s reasons for opposing Mr. Ansari’s candidature were two-fold: the opposition did not like his conduct as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha during the discussion on the Lok Pal Bill, nor his shepherding of the Women’s Reservation Bill. Surely, the passing of the Women’s Bill, stalled by the likes of Mr. Yadav for several years, should count as one of the foremost achievements of Mr. Ansari’s tenure. If the BJP and the NDA are keen to use the Vice-President’s election to re-connect their politics with a wider public, this is certainly not the way to have begun.
Keywords: Vice-President election, Hamid Ansari, Jaswant Singh, UPA, NDA
The present Vice-President is the best person to be our next leader.
Jaswant Singh is not the right choice. His book on Jinnah has already demolished his political career and will face opposition within BJP itself.
Has Mr Ansari done any extraordinary work during his tenure?Still he is being promoted for the second term.In our country ,well known personality is pulled and emerging talent is pushed.There are many right persons available within and outside the cabinet who can handle
the vice presindental post smartly, may be better than Mr Ansari.Then
why UPA(United Progressive Alliance) is giving so much emphasis on Mr Ansari for a second term?
UPA is taking smart decisions and other parties have to face it.
Mr Ansari is the best choice.
The Editorial is insipid but the comments offered by Dr.S.Srinivasan reflect the true concern of all Indians. Otherwise Pranab do not make unnecessary visits to all states by wasting a lot of public money, insted have solicited votes through Skype.
The two posts, namely, that of the President have long lost their dignity thanks to their being filled by persons chosen for the convenience of the political parties. Mr Ansari did not show any great achievements in the present term. He does not seem to have any sense of self respect, when he was ignored by the Congress President due to the party's internal politics. He should have rejected the offer for a second term. But he is a man with ambitions like any other politician. One should not quote the example of Radhakrishnan serving two terms. Ansari is not Radhakrishnan and Pratibha and Pranab are not of the stature of Rajendra Prasad.
Anyway, Ansari will get elected and pass his term without any features good or bad.
An editorial was not necessary for this non event.
The recent times have made it clear that, the UPA is taking smart decisions in choosing their candidates. However the opposition is facing a tough time to bring a suitable candidates who can force a fighting decider contest.
In the light of recent events, the parties must thoroughly introspect their current scenarios, plan strategies for the upcoming general elections.
A second term nomination for the vice-president's post for Mr. Hamid Ansari should not be because he lost out on the presidential nomination to a better candidate, that is, he lost out to a more experienced candidate Mr.Pranab Mukherjee. Nomimation for a second term should be based on the exceptional quality of work done by a candidate. Has he done more than enough to warrant a second term? This should be the criteria on which such nominations be based on.
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