India is in a flurry, and it's all about the highest post in the country, which will soon be vacated by Mrs. Pratibha Patil. The race for the presidential post is as dramatic as the prime time serials and scripted reality shows.
The reigning Congress party has announced their presidential candidate: Pranab Mukharjee, the current finance minister for the union. All was hunky-dory till the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, both allies to the Congress, forced the country to doubletake when they proposed the name of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Dr. Abdul Kalam as potential candidates. It was absurd and magnificently intelligent all at the same time, because the internal cracks in the UPA coalition began to show in this statement, and whispers of early elections began to permeate the political arena. The Congress took time, but it rubbished the claims, in turn asserting the importance of Manmohan Singh and the strength of the UPA coalition.
The former president, Dr. Kalam (President of the People, as we called him) declared his intention of not contesting in the race in a surprising move the day before yesterday. Trinamool Congress had been rooting for him, but now since his candidacy is out of the question, Trinamool is in hot water.
I feel that Mr. Kalam is the best president for the country. His lack of political affiliations and ascetic image of the selfless scientist strikes a chord in the heart of the country. But when it comes to the current scenario, Pranabda should be next in the line for the august office. Though he is a politician, his spotless image and decades of dedication make him the prime candidate for the office. I look forward to the newspapers with more enthusiasm each passing day, as the drama erupting in New Delhi echoes across its pages – it's much better than daytime television.
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