UF leaves the choice of vice-president to Kesri

No wonder that most of the names doing the rounds as potential candidates for the second highest post in the country are Congressmen or Congresswomen.`Chacha’ is sitting pretty, complacent in the knowledge that he holds the key to the vice-presidential election. And the lobbying in the Congress is hectic.

The forerunners are, of course, two women, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson, Najma Heptulla and Rajya Sabha Congress MP, Margaret Alva. But the males in the Congress have not lost heart.

Maharashtra Governor P C Alexander and Rajasthan Governor Baliram Bhagat are also believed to have thrown their hats in the ring. Surprisingly, although common gossip has it that Heptulla is a nominee of Kesri’s rival Sharad Pawar, according to Congress circles, the Maharashtra strongman is actually pitching for Alexander.

Congress sources reveal that Heptulla angered Pawar by disappearing to the United States to attend a seminar at Harvard University during the crucial party organisational elections in Maharashtra. Clearly, Heptulla is anxious to steer clear of Congress factionalism. No one in the party is ready to bet on who will ultimately get Kesri’s backing. The Congress president is mum on the issue, although he readily lends his ear to anxious contenders.

Alva’s claim to the post is her seniority in the Rajya Sabha and the fact that she is a woman and a Christian to boot. Congress circles, however, are not sure whether they should buck tradition and have both the President and the Vice-President from the south.

In addition, since Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma is a Christian, they feel that the Vice-President, who is also the Chairperson of the Upper House, should belong to another community.

Similarly, Alexander may ultimately turn out to be a non-starter, despite his good connections in the Congress which extend beyond Pawar. Although he is a Christian, he is also, like Narayanan, a Malayali.

Both Bhagat and Heptulla are northerners. And the latter appears to have the edge, with several of Kesri’s close aides like Ahmed Patel, Tariq Anwar and Shahid Siddiqui lobbying hard for her. But Chacha is playing with his cards close to his chest.

Congress circles feel he may be waiting to consult Sonia Gandhi, who is abroad at the moment. She is due back on June 26, after which confabulations are expected to begin in earnest.

Another Congressman whose name is floating around is Karan Singh. The “Raja” lobby in the party is said to be rooting for him, but he seems to have few takers in the new dispensation ruling the roost.

The BJP, which had earlier announced its intention to bargain for the post of vice-president, appears to be out of the reckoning. Although Surjit Singh Barnala of the Akali Dal has indicated his desire to contest if the BJP backs him, the UF-Congress deal has probably sealed his fate. There is also a section within the UF which is campaigning with Kesri’s supporters for its own Muslim candidate, hoping that the Congress chief’s known closeness to the community will get them the party’s backing.

With the vice-presidential polls not due till August, the lobbying can only get hotter. And more hopefuls are likely to join the fray. Until Kesri says the magic words.