Perhaps up to yesterday, hardly few Indians knew who is Pratibha Patil. Thanks to TV channels, today Pratibhaji, the loyalist of Sonia Gandhi is known by tonight all over the country. Pratibha Patil is the candidate of the ruling government for the post of President of India that Kalam will be vacating soon. And in all probability, Mrs. Patil will win the race, as the numbers are with Sonia Gandhi and so with her. And her being a woman and if she wins the first woman president of billion plus nation has also become a selling point in favour of Pratibha Patil. Sonia calls it a historic moment. I don’t know if it is a historic moment. I personally feel this shows the total bankruptcy of the right people for the highest post.

The worst part is the way the UPA has come to her name. When the race started many names of the Congress leaders such as Pranab Mukherji, Sushil Shinde, Karan Singh, ND Tiwari, and even Motilal Vohra came. However, Sonia preferred and proposed the name of Shivraj Patil, as he was the most loyal to her. For the first time, leftist did a work in national interest by rejecting Sonia’s most favourite candidate Shivraj Patil, when Mayawati as well as Karunanidhi had agreed to vote for any that Sonia selects. Perhaps, if any credit is to be given for this first woman presidential candidate from UPA, it must go to leftists. As it appears Sonia sat with all the names of her choicest loyalists including Pratibha Patil and went on eliminating those, the leftists didn’t like during the meeting with the leftists. The name of Pratibha Patil emerged as the least controversial and got selected. Should it be the way for selecting the candidate for the highest position of the nation? Sonia Gandhi did the same with Manmohan Singh and now for the Pratibha Patil.

Why can’t the intellectuals of the country oppose this process? Why can’t the people of India oppose the way politicians wish to reserve every thing for its clan?

Surprisingly, NDA or the so-called Third Front is equally bankrupt in regard to a suitable candidate of its own too. Shekhawat is not a right candidate to replace Kalam.

This is the unfortunate part of the politics in this great country. A bunch of low caliber mean politicians is running the show. And it will go on, as these politicians and their followers are perpetuating it, as it is democracy.