Click to play videoNew Delhi: Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil is set to be the first woman President of the country. The UPA on Thursday selected her as its candidate for the Presidential election on July 19.
Patil emerged the consensus candidate among UPA allies after talks during which several names were thrown up as potential candidates and discarded.
At one point of time, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi even proposed the name of noted Gandhi Nirmala Deshpande.
The Left parties rejected the names of Union Ministers Shivraj Patil, Sushil Kumar Shinde and former minister Karan Singh. They even rejected External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was their favourite earlier.
At the end of the day, the Congress proposed Pratibha Patil’s name and the Left agreed. "It is a matter of pride and a historic moment in the 60th year of our republic," said Sonia Gandhi after the UPA meeting.
"We will have to set up a coordination committee (to ensure her victory)," she said in the presence of UPA leaders, including the Prime Minister, DMK president M Karunanidhi, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and NCP president Sharad Pawar besides Left leaders Prakash Karat, Abani Roy and A B Bardhan.
"I don't think parties will find any reason to oppose our candidate now," said Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan.
A senior Congress leader, 72-year-old Patil is a former minister of Maharashtra, a former deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha and the first woman governor of Rajasthan. She is also currently the only woman state governor in India.
Patil hails from Jalgaon in Maharashtra and was a former president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.
In the last few days, Shivaraj Patil had emerged as a frontrunner for Presidentship, but the Left parties openly expressed reservations over him. Playing the role of a mediator, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi held several rounds of talks with the Left leaders and the UPA leadership throughout Thursday.
Earlier on Thursday, there was much speculation after senior Congress leader Karan Singh met DMK chief Karunanidhi.
Patil, married to Devisingh Shekhawat, a Maharashtrian of Rajasthani descent, will most probably take on Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, also from Rajasthan.
NUMBERS IN THE POLL | |
 | In an electoral college of 10,98,882, the UPA and Left have 5,11,965 votes |
| The BSP's vote share is 58,300 |
| The candidate backed by UPA could easily get over 5.70 lakh votes if we combine the BSP's vote with the UPA |
| The NDA candidate is expected to bag only 3,54,689 votes, given the strength of BJP and its allies |
| The unattached parties like AIADMK, Samajwadi Party, RLD, TDP, AGP and MDMK, which recently floated a "Third Front", carry a total of 1,06,281 votes |
| Even if the votes of the newly floated third front is counted with the NDA, it can garner only 4,60,970 votes, leaving it short by over one lakh votes as compared to the UPA candidate The remaining parties have around 67,647 votes |
WHO IS PRATIBHA PATIL? |
Date of Birth: 19 December, 1934 Place of Birth: Distt. Jalgaon (Maharashtra) Marital Status: Married on July 7, 1965 Spouse’s Name: Dr Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat Children: One son and one daughter Educational Qualification: MA, LLB Educated at MJ College, Jalgaon (Maharashtra) & Govt. Law College, Mumbai Profession: Social Worker, practiced as Advocate at Jalgaon Positions held 1962-85: Member, Maharasthra Legislative Assembly 1967-72: Deputy Minister, Public Health, Prohibition, Tourism, Housing and Parliamentary Affairs, Govt. of Maharasthra 1972-74: Cabinet Minister, Social Welfare, Govt. of Maharashtra 1974-75: Cabinet Minister, Public Health and Social Welfare, Maharasthra 1975-76: Cabinet Minister, Prohibition, Rehabilitation and Cultural Affairs, Govt. of Maharashtra 1977-78: Cabinet Minister, Education, Govt. of Maharashtra July 1979 to Feb.1980: Leader of Opposition, CLP(I), Govt. of Maharashtra 1983-85: Cabinet Minister, Urban Development and Housing, Govt. of Maharashtra Cabinet Minister, Civil Supplies and Social Welfare, Govt. of Maharashtra June, 1985-90: Elected to Rajya Sabha 18 November, 1986 to 5 November, 1988: Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha 1986-88: Chairman, Committee on Privileges, Rajya Sabha Member, Business Advisory Committee, Rajya Sabha 1991: Elected to 10th Lok Sabha Chairperson, House Committee, Lok Sabha 8 November, 2004: Governor of Rajasthan Other Positions Held President - PCC Maharashtra 1988-1990, Director of National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks & Credit Societies, Member of Governing Council, National Cooperative Union of India. Special Interests Development of Rural Economy, Welfare of Women |
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