We are midway through 2016 and the term of the current Head of the State is about to end in a year. Thus, the pentennial affair of anticipating the future holder of the highest Executive Post has been set in motion. The post of the President of India is analogous to that of the Crown in England and thus men of great character and dignity ought to be appointed to this post without any political bias. In the last more than 6 decades, this post has been held by desirable intellectuals like Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. APJ Adbul Kalam and Dr. Zakir Hussain but at the same time it has also been used to award political loyalty in the form of Giyani Zail Singh and even for awarding culinary skills in the form of former President Pratibha Patil.
The current President himself was appointed as compensation for having been denied the post of the Prime Minister of India even though he was the PM in waiting for several decades.
The current Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to take care of several details before appointing the next Head of the State. The most important consideration to be kept in mind is that the appointment should not be made with a mindset of settling a veteran as a post retirement affair unlike the UPA Government which appointed the current and the former President with such a mindset.
Secondly, he will have to make sure that in case any of the current Ministers is appointed as the President of India, such appointment does not create an imbalance in his Cabinet. Thus, Ministers like Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley who could have otherwise been prospective candidates should not be appointed for the sake of Governmental efficacy. Thirdly, he will have to satisfy many within BJP’s corridors in order to ensure political stability. These considerations can have inherent conflicts and a balance has to be stuck among them.
Following is a list of certain eminent personalities who could be appointed as the 14th President of India in 2017 along with their pros and cons.
Shri Pranab Mukherjee
Even though his appointment seems to have been more of a political settlement, he appears to be a perfect candidate for reappointment primarily because of his vast political experience.
Pros
Pranab Mukherjee unfortunately could never serve as the Prime Minister of India despite his influential brand of politics and efficacy as members of his own political outfit were desperate to serve the interests of a particular family. Moreover, the current President seems to be sharing a great rapport with the PM Narendra Modi and that can be another factor leading to his reappointment.
There is not an iota of doubt in the fact that President Pranab Mukherjee has done complete justice to the much coveted post thus far. One of the very few powers that the President exercises in his own discretion is that of deciding upon the mercy petitions and his track record as far as disposing them off is concerned is not subject to any corroboration. He has also held the Post with great responsibility and has stayed away from any unnecessary controversies or altercations. His appointment though a political one, his tenure has been characterized by true statesmanship and complete absence of political bias.
Reappointment of Pranab Mukherjee will also help the current Government in countering the claims of narcissism. It will help the Government in showcasing itself as having an inclusive and unbiased approach. This may also give the Government in claiming that it has taken a necessary step in ending a patch of extremely acrimonious relationship with the Opposition and the onus would then be on the Opposition to let the legislative business resume.
Cons
Howsoever, suitable the current President maybe for a reappointment, his reappointment is going to raise some eyebrows within the BJP. There may be talks both within and outside the BJP about how PM Modi has sidelined certain senior members of the BJP and how an outsider has been appointed in their place.
Murli Manohar Joshi/ L.K. Advani
A possible appointment to the highest executive post for the two senior most leaders of the BJP has been doing the rounds ever since the BJP came to power in 2014. Advaniji can be aptly defined as the Pranab Mukherjee of the Bhartiya Janta Party who was once the much hyped PM was unfortunately past his prime by the time BJP regained power. Murli Manohar Joshi’s saga has been similar to that of L.K. Advani except he was never the PM in waiting. When it had become clear that BJP will eventually come to power in 2014, the names of Advani and Joshi had started doing the rounds for the post of the President and the Vice President respectively.
Pros
The unfortunate reality of today is that BJP seems to be sharply divided in two factions, one of PM Modi and the other of Advani. The only way of doing away with such division or at least blurring it is the appointment of either of the above named as the President of India and the present Government will also be able to refute the claim that it has sidelined the ‘Margdarshak Mandal’ thus sending a positive signal among the party cadres.
An appointment from within the party will also ensure a smooth and cordial relationship between the Rashtrapati Bhavan and 7 RCR which is very much desirable.
Cons
Howsoever conducive to the BJP it maybe, the appointment of Advani or Joshi to the top post will be nothing but a political settlement or to be more aptly described, a political compulsion. This won’t do justice to the Constitutional Post of the President and the NDA might end up making the same mistake which the Congress has deliberately made several times in the Constitutional history of India.
Rajnath Singh
He is not having a dream run as far as his portfolio of Union Home Minister is concerned, is he? In comparison to other innovative Ministers who can think out of the box and herald unprecedented achievements, Rajnath Singh seems to be out of place and clueless. Elevating Rajnath to Rashtrapati Bhavan and replacing him with an efficacious Home Minister might do the trick for the current Prime Minister.
His appointment may have a negative side too and the ‘Margdarshak Mandal’ may feel highly insulted regarding the fact that they were sidelined for a much junior party member. Thus, widening the rift which exists within the BJP
Conclusion:
PM Modi has several options before him and each option has its own advantages and disadvantages involving conflicting considerations. How well he is able to handle this situation will surely be a test of his political acumen. But one thing is for sure, whichever candidate the BJP chooses will invite unprecedented and negative propaganda from its opponents, the BJP will have to hold its grounds and be assertive with any option that it takes up without getting on the defensive.
