VHP floats Jacob’s name for President

The VHP’s choice of 80-year-old Jacob while meeting the BJP’s suggestion that the post go to a community which has not held the post would — given the level of hatred between Jews and Muslims — shoot down Alexander’s candidature and help it in identifying itself with the Jewish community.

The BJP and its previous avtar, the Jana Sangh, have always made pro-Israel noises. After assuming office, the Vajpayee government has forged close strategic ties with Israel. Giriraj Kishore said that the country needed a tough person as head of state. ‘‘While Alexander is a controversial person, Jacob is very straight-forward,’’ he said.

He said he did not agree with the view that Alexander, if elected, would be the first Christian President of the country. ‘‘I can say for sure that K.R. Narayanan is also a Christian,’’ he said.

He rated the chances of Alexander’s election as ‘‘dim’’ and maintained that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi would not back his candidature.

‘‘If there is a Christian President, the post of the Prime Minister in all likelihood will not go to a Christian. Therefore, she will not back his candidature,’’ he argued.

However, he ruled out the possibility of the VHP taking up Jacob’s candidature with the BJP.

Jacob, who retired from the Army on July 31 1978, is an active and loyal member of the BJP. He was associated with the BJP as defence strategist while the party was out of power and during the BJP’s brief rule at the Centre before he was rewarded with the governorship of Goa.

Jacob was sworn in as Governor, Goa, on April 18, 1998. Within weeks, Jacob had raised a controversy by dismissing the Congress government in the state to pave way for the coalition government led by Wilfred D Souza.

Jacob used Art 164 (1) of the Constitution ‘‘withdrawing his pleasure’’ from the Pratapsing Rane government. Congressmen in Goa accused Jacob of misusing his powers and later described his order as ‘‘Hitlerian’’ and whimsical.

On August 1, the Congress carried out a march to the Goa Raj Bhawan demanding Jacob’s recall. The matter developed into a major speaker-governor row in the coastal state.