NEW DELHI:
Presidential candidate of India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee gleaned the magic number of votes (around 518,000) to become the 13th president of India. He secured the required number during the ongoing counting of votes at Parliament House here on Sunday.
As expected, the UPA and its key allies including Samajwadi party, Bahujan Samaj Party and others had supported Mukherjee. He also received the support of opposition parties.
Mukherjee defeated the BJP-backed presidential candidate P A Sangma, an ex-speaker of parliament and a tribal representative from northeast India. The former finance minister garnered the overwhelming support of parliamentarians (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs) in the president’s election securing 373,116 votes from them. The remaining votes in his favour were cast by members of state assembles.
Sangma, on the other hand, managed to get 145,848 votes from MPs.
Ballot counting began amidst tight security in Parliament House in the presence of authorised representatives of both Mukherjee and Sangma at 11am. The first trend indicator arrived at 1pm after the votes of all the MPs were counted.
The representatives of the two presidential candidates inspected the seals of the ballot boxes and the counting began after ascertaining that they were not tampered with.
As many as 95 per cent of the 4,896 electors – 776 MPs and 4,120 MLAs – had exercised their franchise on Thursday at the polling centres set up in Parliament House and 30 other states and Union territories with assemblies.
With Mukherjee’s elevation, the ruling coalition has lost its principal trouble-shooter, its finance minister and the number two to the prime minister in the cabinet. Jockeying is on to fill all these posts. A full cabinet reshuffle can be expected in the coming weeks, possibly after September 6 when the monsoon session of parliament concludes.
Mukherjee’s emphatic win is a morale booster for the beleaguered ruling party, which faces parliamentary elections in 2014. Its image has been tarnished by corruption allegations against several ministers and demands that it take more action against graft.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assumed the additional portfolio of acting finance minister in June, replacing Mukherjee when he resigned to run for president.
Mukherjee, according to The Hindustan Times, is the third person to make the leap from union cabinet to the president’s office after Dr Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Giani Zail Singh. Most of India’s other presidents held the post of vice president before their installation.
Mukherjee, 76, could also play an important role if one political party fails to get a clear mandate in the next general elections due by 2014.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AGENCIES)
Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (16)
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@Mirza: @gp65: Personally, I preferred a non political person to be our president but it's ok. Pranab is a clean person and is from west bengal, my home state so no issues on it with a light sense of humour hip hip hooray. cheerio. Take care
@Complex: "@gp65: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/will-release-proof-against-pranab-team-anna/273073-37-64.html Its good to research before defending someone."
I am actually not at all pro-UPA and I am very supportive of Anna Hazare's movement but I think stating that they will bring proof about Pranav's corruption now is frankly just in poor taste. Prnav has run a covert/overt campaign for Presidency for the last 6 months, why did they not utter a word aall this while? More importantly, Pranav has been in public life for 43 years as a representative of Parliament. How come we have never heard corruption allegations in all this while? Even Advani and Sushma Swaraj - BJP leaders who will not let an opportunity go by to embarrass UPA have a high opinion of Pranav. Than speaks for something.
@gp65: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/will-release-proof-against-pranab-team-anna/273073-37-64.html Its good to research before defending someone.
@gp65: Thanks for the explanation. I would be called an Indian agent if I would have gone in so much detail. In Pakistan one is a traitor, foreign agent, or simply a foreigner if he/she is trying to tell the truth. An out of the box thinking is difficult to digest here. Cheers, Mirza
@Baba Ji: "Relax buddy … it takes more than PhDs and rocket scientists to run the show … we are still faring better than them … http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/mapping-toilets-in-a-mumbai-slum-yields-unexpected-results/?ref=asia"
Yes in the area of sanitation provision, Pakistan is doing better than India. There are many other socioeconomic indicators where India does far better e.g. out of school children, overall literacy, gap between male and female youth literacy, infant mortality rate, under 5 mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, law and order, load shedding, minorities life and liberty including freedom of worship. The world's perception of both countries can be gauged from just one example: Top cricketers of the world willingly come to India each year and play IPL. Even Bangladesh cricket team will not come to Pakistan.
So yes both countries have big problems to solve but I am unable to conclude that Pakistan is better off. I AM able to conclude that if Pakistani deep state lets go of its national security state paradigm and moves to a welfare state paradigm, both countries will reap a huge peace dividend which can be utilized for improving the lives of the awaam of both countries.
@Mirza: "Indians are no better than Pakistanis except their respect for democracy and people’s verdict which comes with true education and political training not from madarsa. Our election losers always remain upset and keep conspiring to bring down the elected govt no matter what the cost is"
Mirzaji, I would like to add one more thing which is evident in India in addition to what you stated about losers being good sports. The winners are gracious in their victory. There is no attempt to victimize the prior ruler as Zia did with Bhutto, Musharraf did with Benazir and Nawaz and it appears that now Musharraf cannot re-enter Pakistan after ruling it for 9 years. I think that because your rulers constantly escape to either Gulf countries or UK, their kids are parked abroad in UK or US and hence those countries have undue influence on Pakistan's internal matters. As bad as Indian politicians are, they are not under any undue foreign influence that can potentially undermine India's national interests.
@Uzair Javaid
I think you are talking about shri narendra modi , no he is not our president but will be prime minister soon and he doesn't require certificates from a citizen of ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN about his involvement in 2002 when highest india judicial body cleared him.
@Uzair Javaid: How ignorant are you? neither he or his party were any where near Gujarat. Country was ruled by BJP and so was Gujarat.
Congratulations to the new president of the largest democracy of the world. Indian president is elected the same way as Pakistani president, indirectly by all elected houses in the country. That is why he is the true symbol of the federation not one or two provinces. Yet none of his opponents are trying to undo his election. No paid govt servant has the courage to undo his election on any excuse whether his is directly or indirectly elected or more or less popular. The generals and judges never dare exploit corruption charges to undo election results or deprive the people of democracy. Indians are no better than Pakistanis except their respect for democracy and people's verdict which comes with true education and political training not from madarsa. Our election losers always remain upset and keep conspiring to bring down the elected govt no matter what the cost is. By keeping the two nation theory alive and our differences on the front burner the deep state does not want the people to see the real freedom and its effects in India. Hence they build walls between the two countries instead of bridges. Kudos to democracy and economic progress in India.
@A.S.: Relax buddy ... it takes more than PhDs and rocket scientists to run the show ... we are still faring better than them ... http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/mapping-toilets-in-a-mumbai-slum-yields-unexpected-results/?ref=asia
@Whats_wrong: "Great!!! Who says we select the most corrupt politicians for the office?"
UPA government is corrupt but Pranav Mukherjee is an absolutely clean politician. His credentials are impeccable. He has been in the parliament for 43 years continuously. He has held all key cabinet portfolios - Foreign minister, Defense minister, Finance Minister. HE also has led the Planning commission. He is widely respected even by political opponents.
The man has a law degree AND he has a graduate degree in history and political science. He has experience as finance minister and this is great news for India - it continues to pick the most qualified people like PHDs , Lawyers, rocket scientists , economists etc. and we have not had a SINGLE guy in Pakistan who had a PHD.
There have been two people with Masters : both were either hanged or removed before their tenure was up (Bhutto from a top uni. UC Berkeley and Gilani from a local uni which is the equivalent of a bachelors overseas).
@Uzair Javaid: "The complicit man in the mass massacre of thousands of Muslims in Gujarat (indian)."
What are you talking about? Pranav Mukherjee had no connection.
A loyal chamchja of Nehru dynasty. He will put his thumb impression wherever Madam wants it.
Great!!!
Who says we select the most corrupt politicians for the office?