Pranab all set to be the next President

Pranab Mukherjee becoming Congress' candidate for the July 19 presidential election comes as no surprise. The first clear indication that the finance minister would be getting the ticket to Raisina Hill was at an informal dinner hosted by a union minister in the later part of May. It was not an off-the-record confirmation. But, to a keen student of politics, body language can say a lot. Politicians, especially the veterans, are masters of obfuscation and can often throw scribes off track. That evening, though the 76-year-old did not verbally hint that he had got the green signal from 10 Janpath, his relaxed demeanor and him getting chatty about his diary writing habit, among other things, was indicative enough that his metamorphosis into a non-political role had begun.

However, there were sceptics. There never was any doubt about Pranab's credentials. He has been the UPA government's Man Friday since 2004 and the spinal cord of the administration-at one time he headed more than 50 GoMs (Group of Ministers).  But, he has had a history of having a losing streak when it came to getting a top job. In 1984, when Indira Gandhi was assassinated, he was seen as the lead contender to the Prime Minister's chair; that was said to be the reason why Rajiv Gandhi suspended him from the Congress in 1985. Again, in 2004, Pranab was edged out by Manmohan Singh. Incidentally, Singh was the RBI governor during Pranab's first stint as finance minister in the early 1980s. After the Congress-led alliance made a surprise comeback in 2009, Singh's profile enhanced (it's a different scenario now) and Pranab's chances of becoming the country's premier almost diminished.

So, on June 5, many thought he had lost the presidential race too. That was because he was the one who moved the resolution that authorised Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to decide the party's candidate for the post of President and Vice-President. It could have been another senior leader like AK Antony, for instance, they reasoned. Also, on June 13, there were speculations again when Mamata Banerjee along with Mulayam Singh Yadav threw a bombshell. They rejected Pranab and put forward their choices of Manmohan Singh, former President APJ Abdul Kalam and former Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.  Today's announcement puts an end to all that.

Pranab, given the UPA's numbers, is all set to become the country's thirteenth President. Already, Mulayam Singh has made a U-turn. Except Mamata, all the other UPA allies also appear to be on board, including BSP supremo Mayawati. While Mamata does vouch for Kalam, it is unlikely that he will contest. Though he has not said anything recently, Kalam had earlier maintained that he would consider a second term only if his candidature was unanimous. That leaves former Speaker Purno Sangma as the other possible contestant. But, Sangma's own party, the NCP, does not seem to be in his favour.  And, the opposition NDA alliance does not have the numbers.  It has to be seen now whether Mamata can go against the 'Bengali sentiment' and not vote for the first possible President from West Bengal. Given his political skills, it would be a surprise if Pranabda (as he is fondly called) does not charm "his sister" into supporting his candidature.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said the election took place on July 13, when in fact it takes place on July 19.