NEW DELHI, July 9: With the Janata Dal split leaving Prime Minister I K Gujral even more of a passive approver, it is Congress chief Sitaram Kesri who has all the aces up his sleeve on who the country's next Vice President will be. And he is playing his cards close to his chest.The United Front has not been able to come to a consensus on a vice-presidential candidate. Tactically, the Left parties made a mistake by opening their cards too early and showing their preference for Narayanan. This has enabled the Congress to project Narayanan as a UF Presidential candidate though he was a Congress MP and candidate for the Vice-Presidentship in 1992.Congress leaders argue that the next Vice-President should be of their choice, since the UF had its way in deciding the Presidential candidate.Significantly, the serious contenders for the Vice-Presidentship today are virtually all Congressmen. It is being openly acknowledged that whoever Kesri blesses will become a front-runner for the post. Pranab Mukherji, in the race for the vice-presidentship, said the decision lay with the Congress president, adding that the party would consult the UF on the issue. He said for the country's two highest offices, it is the party nominee who matters and not an individual.Mukherji, a veteran Congressman and one-time Rao loyalist, has veered close to Kesri. He has an excellent equation with West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, who is expected to bring around the Left to accept him.Then there is Baliram Bhagat, Governor of Rajasthan. As a backward class leader from Bihar, he could fit into Kesri's scheme of playing to the backwards. In keeping with the policy, Kesri has reportedly decided to appoint C D Patel, another backward class leader in Gujarat, as PCC chief.P A Sangma, Lok Sabha Speaker, who is a Gujral-favourite, would be widely accepted in the Congress and the UF as a vice-presidential candidate. But it remains to be seen if Sangma, who is being viewed as a potential prime minister in certain circles, would like to opt for a post which will take him along a different path altogether.Khurshid Alam Khan, Governor of Karnataka, is another contender with his Muslim credentials and his UP background. Another Muslim candidate, Najma Heptullah, has her experience as deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and claimant to the legacy of Maulana Azad to back her. Margaret Alva, a contender from the minority community, does not have much of a chance. But she may neutralise Najma.The position of Karan Singh has weakened in recent days despite lobbying by Madhav Rao Scindia.Surjit Singh Barnala is the choice of the BJP and its allies. The DMK is inclined to back him. It was Barnala, who as Governor of Tamil Nadu, had resisted then prime minister Chandra Shekhar's bid to sack the Karunanidhi Government and sought the support of the DMK when Atal Behari Vajpayee became Prime Minister. But there are no other takers for him in the UF at the moment.Kesri and Gujral are moving in tandem. The Congress president has already made it known that he will speak his mind only after July 14, when the presidential poll takes place.Kesri's choice will be part of his overall political strategy. As he could not take the entire credit for Narayanan's candidature, he will use the vice-presidential elections to demonstrate that he calls the shots. It remains to be seen whether he pursues narrow caste-based politics or he lifts the election above considerations of caste, community, religion or sex.
