CPR for VP : Non-controversial and Respected
The stage is now set for a direct contest between NDA candidate Maharashtra Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan and opposition bloc candidate former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy for the Vice President election scheduled for September 9.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been assigned the task to contact opposition leaders to agree on Radhakrishnan’s candidature, but on Tuesday Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the opposition bloc has “unanimously” agreed on the name of former SC judge B. Sudarshan Reddy.
The opposition is trying to queer the pitch for NDA ally Telugu Desam Party, because Reddy hails from undivided Andhra Pradesh. But on Tuesday afternoon, TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu’s son and minister Nara Lokesh tweeted: “No ambiguity – only warmth, respect, and resolve. The NDA stands united.”
On the other hand, Radhakrishnan hails from Tamil Nadu. He has been the state BJP chief in Tamil Nadu, but DMK is unwilling to support his candidature, despite its talk of Tamil pride.
As far as the numbers are concerned in the electorate that will elect the new Vice President, Radhakrishnan’s victory is almost certain. BJP and its allies command a clear majority, and it will be difficult for Congress and its allies in opposition bloc to oppose CPR’s candidature.
C.P. Radhakrishnan has a clean public life. He hails from a backward community of Tamil Nadu, and his caste has quite a good influence in Andhra Pradesh too. On the other hand, the Congress-led bloc’s opposition appears to be purely symbolic. With CPR as the NDA candidate, the opposition’s move may not be aggressive.
There is another aspect to CPR being selected as the NDA candidate. The top BJP leadership has now realized that it should entrust responsibility to its older leaders rather than carrying out failed experiments like giving constitutional posts to Jagdeep Dhankhar and Satyapal Malik. This idea is going to be reflected in more political appointments that are going to take place soon.
Don’t intimidate Election Commission
The opposition continues with its ‘halla bol’ (hyper aggressive) attitude against the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.
On Monday, an idea was floated to move an impeachment motion in Parliament against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Earlier, the opposition had demanded that the CEC should before the media to clarify doubts about Bihar SIR. On Sunday, the CEC addressed a lengthy press conference and replied to all questions put by media persons. The opposition then changed its stance and is now exploring the path of impeachment against the CEC.
The opposition is targeting the CEC because the Election Commission had been consistently rebutting on its social media platform, all charges of “vote fraud” that are being made.
On Sunday, the CEC gave point-by-point replies to all questions raised by Rahul Gandhi at his power point presentation about alleged “vote fraud” in one assembly segment Mahadevpura of Bengaluru Central parliamentary constituency.
Though the CEC did not name Rahul Gandhi, he clearly said that the data that have been used to level “vote fraud” charges are not EC data.
Gyanesh Kumar clearly said that those who have levelled “vote fraud” charges must file affidavit within seven days or apologise before the nation. There is no third option, he added. If no affidavit is filed within seven days, it shall be presumed that all the allegations are baseless, the CEC said.
On Monday, leaders of opposition bloc addressed a joint conference and alleged that the CEC was “threatening” the opposition and “running away” from replying to the charges.
In Bihar, Rahul Gandhi continued with his Vote Adhikar Yatra, addressing rallies at different places. He warned the Election Commission that if there is change of regime ever at the Centre, the CEC and the two Election Commissioners will not be spared.
If you go through the timeline about the charges levelled at the EC, you can get a clear picture.
Rahul Gandhi levelled “vote theft” charges against the EC at his press conference last week, publicly called the EC “chor” (thief).
The Election Commission replied to charges in off-the-record briefings. The opposition then asked why the Election Commission is not coming out in the open and reply.
When the CEC came out and replied to charges before the media, the opposition started saying, the EC is speaking in the language of BJP.
I think, as the head of a constitutional body, Gyanesh Kumar patiently replied to all questions. He did not scold the media persons and did not name anybody as “Congress agent”. He replied to all queries in a dignified manner. As far as threat is concerned, for the last seven days, Rahul Gandhi had been threatening the Election Commission.
Did the skies fall, when Gyanesh Kumar said he has no other option but to demand either an affidavit or an apology within 7 days?
I think, no one should try to browbeat the Election Commission, nor should the EC try to intimidate any political party. If leaders have the right to level charges, then how can the Election Commission be deprived of its right to reply to charges?