NEW DELHI: The Opposition’s hunt for a “Genuine Guardian of the Constitution” before the election for the next President has landed in choppy waters, as all three candidates offered thus far have declined.
On Monday, former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi became the third projected face to deny the request of the unified Opposition, joining NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.
Gandhi’s withdrawal from the race the day before Pawar’s second set of talks at Parliament Annexe harmed the leaders’ efforts. “After careful consideration, I’ve resolved that in addition to Opposition unity, the Opposition’s candidate should develop a national consensus and national sentiment. I assume others will accomplish this duty far more effectively than I will. Gandhi remarked in a written statement to the media that he had requested the leaders to give this guy a chance.
There were indications that a consensus was forming around Gandhi’s name, with parties such as AAP indicating that it may be acceptable to them due to his renowned diplomatic and academic career.
“The plan was also to emphasise the fact that he is the Mahatma’s grandson,” a negotiator from the opposition claimed. In the 75th year of independence, that would have delivered a strong statement, especially because the forces behind the assassination of the nation’s founder are more brazen than ever.
Even in 2017, the Opposition sought to field Gandhi, but the NDA’s selection of Ram Nath Kovind as their candidate caused a change of heart. The opposition eventually nominated former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, a Dalit like Kovind. Gandhi was unsuccessful in his bid for Vice President.
While TMC sources are now proposing the name of former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha (84), the likelihood of consensus on the former BJP leader’s nomination remains remote.
Sinha served as Finance Minister and Minister of External Affairs in the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Initially viewed as a supporter of L K Advani, Sinha fell out of favour with the BJP patriarch in subsequent years. He remained a member of the BJP until 2018 when he resigned on the grounds that the Narendra Modi administration posed a “threat” to the country’s democracy.
While Sinha’s political history may impede any Opposition consensus around his name, the overall poll maths, which is heavily stacked against the Opposition, is also emerging as an obstacle, with leaders refusing to enter a race that appears to be headed to a predictable conclusion — the victory of NDA’s unannounced candidate.
