Good choice

 

THE Opposition may still, as a matter of political compulsion, offer its candidate for the election of Vice President, but realistically speaking, the choice of Maharashtra Governor Mr. C.P. Radhakrishnan as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee is good enough for him to be a consensus candidate. Over time, Mr. Radhakrishnan has proved his credentials as a politician with a wide appeal in all parties. True, he does represent the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideology and has led a few organisational campaigns for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in different (mostly southern) States. Despite that, his personal appeal goes far beyond party-lines. In the current conditions, therefore, his choice by the NDA needs to be appreciated as a smart move. He has the substance and merit to fill capably the post that went vacant following some confusing politics.

 

Of course, many names had come up in the political churning that followed the sudden exit of Mr. Jagdeep Dhankhar as Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Mr. Radhakrishnan’s name also figured in those confabulations, but fell back subsequently. And then came the quiet proposal reported by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and the NDA did not take much time to finalise Mr. Radhakrishnan’s name. There is little doubt about his final election since the numbers fully favour the NDA.

 

Thus, in Mr. C.P. Radhakrishnan, India has a right person to be Vice President and RS Chairman -- a ‘winning’ candidate ! However, until Mr. Radhakrishnan’s name popped up late in the BJP Parliamentary Party discussions, there was a genuine confusion about the possible candidate. Many names came up and and went down. ‘Winnability’ was not the central consideration since the numbers favoured the NDA, all right. The consideration was in favour of a person who will be good enough to counter the cantankerous Opposition politics that has been assuming rougher proportions of late. The BJP needed a name that will have the capacity to assuage the rough edges of Opposition politics with characteristic calmness, a quality that Mr. Radhakrishnan is described to have in abundance -- in addition to a phenomenal patience. There is no doubt that the Opposition will (have to) offer its own candidate for the contest -- though there are no reports about that activity from the Opposition camp so far.

 

The ensuing contest, thus, will have a lot of political noise, all right. But, the end-result will favour Mr. C.P. Radhakrishnan. This is one political reality that the Opposition would never want to admit or acknowledge. With a confrontationist stance, the Opposition has only spoilt the nature and nuance of national politics. With that in the background, there will be a contest for the vice presidential election -- with much noise and a lot of Opposition optics. Honestly, India does not need such cantankerous politics for sometime. When the country is poised for a great leap forward in economy, it needs a political atmosphere in which consensus can play a vital role in larger national interest. Such an outcome is less likely to happen, however -- considering the way the Opposition has approach every issue on the socio-political anvil. If the contest happens, the election of Mr. Radhakrishnan is almost certain -- unless a political meteor strikes the NDA unexpectedly and destroys its chances. Such possibilities, however, are quite utopian and are found in novels and movies. On the ground of practical politics, Mr. Radhakrishnan’s name is a sure-ticket for an NDA win in vice presidential election. The BJP -- and the Prime Minister -- has taken its own time to zero-in on the name. But the choice has all the merits of a good candidate and the Opposition may find it difficult to offer its name of equal merit. .