In the game
Opposition puts behind differences to propose Gopalkrishna Gandhi for vice-president Elections for president and vice-president (VP) may be all over bar the shouting, but still retain symbolic value as they indicate the extent to which opposition parties are capable of rallying their forces around common candidates. After weeks of confabulations, 18 opposition parties have finally agreed to the candidature of former diplomat and governor, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, for the VP's post . In a boost to opposition unity the candidature of Gandhi ¬ who comes with impeccable family lineage in that he is a grandson of both Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagopalachari ¬ has also been backed by Nitish Kumar's JD(U). Relying on family lineage is unlikely to cut much ice in 21st century India. Nevertheless Congress appears to have learnt a lesson after having been out-smarted by BJP earlier when the latter named Ram Nath Kovind ¬ former MP and Dalit lawyer from UP ¬ as its candidate for president. This drove a wedge between opposition parties as Nitish broke ranks and backed Kovind, the then Bihar governor, a day before the opposition parties were to finalise their candidate. In stark contrast, Tuesday's meeting for selecting the VP candidate was attended by top leaders from Congress, TMC, SP, BSP, JD(U), DMK and Left parties among others. Congress wisely refrained from selecting a candidate like it did with Meira Kumar, instead it chose to endorse Gandhi's name only after a nod from other parties. NDA still retains the numerical advantage with close to 500 votes out of the 790-strong electoral college in both houses of Parliament.It needs, however, to win the prestige battle as well. It can still outwit the opposition if it decides to field a Muslim face like Najma Heptullah. That way , it can demonstrate it is more politically imaginative than Congress.
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