The 2017 Presidential election have become a platform for political messaging. Both BJP and Congress seem to be playing a different game altogether. The nomination of Bihar’s Governor Ram Nath Kovind came as a political shocker from BJP’s side, the confused opposition seemed to have played along as they filed former Lok Sabha speaker, Meira Kumar’s name for the post of President. The nomination of Ram Nath Kovind negated Congress’ thought process drastically as the party might have hoped that the ruling party would find someone from the RSS in order to set the stage for a contest between a saffron candidate and a secular candidate.
The Indian Prime Minister and BJP President together have tried to gain support of the out band of NDA by going for a Dalit candidate. Now this step from BJP found obedience in the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Mayawati who willingly extended support to Ram Nath Kovind till the time when Congress along with its allies came up with a deciding factor for Mayawati with the name of the daughter of the late leader of the depressed classes, Babu Jagjivan Ram. Though Congress hoped otherwise, but waiting for BJP to play its move only worsened the party’s chance to have an upper hand.
Coming to the results of the Presidential Election – 2017, one can easily see that BJP has a lot more strength in terms of its majority in the House of Common and several legislatures and the massive presence of the party in UP Assembly is surely to lead Ram Nath Kovind way ahead of his opposing candidate Meira Kumar.
Like it or not, but BJP has its ways around things. Apart from UP, BJP also has supporters in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. Apart from these regions, BJP has the backing of Janata Dal’s (United) leader and Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The only plus point in this year’s Presidential Elections it seems to be the possibility of realigning Bihar. But that’s only the pluses so far.
Nitish Kumar has his negative as well. Being in the company of the ‘in a huge mess’ leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Lalu Prasad whose family is in turmoil because of allegations of benami property transactions, Nitish Kumar’s reputation is at stake.
Shiv Sena has also decided to back the BJP candidate. With 17 parties backing up the Congress, it seems BJP has already won the elections.
