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Is Pratibha's victory a milestone for women's empowerment in India?
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Sonia names Pratibha Patil for President
NDTV Bureau
Thursday, June 14, 2007, (New Delhi)
It was all in a day's work. On Thursday morning, Home Minister Shivraj Patil woke up as the frontrunner to be the government's choice for President by six in the evening.
He was replaced by another Patil but of a different gender and caste - Pratibha Patil, Rajasthan Governor, who could go down in the history books as possibly the first woman President of India.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi spoke to senior BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee seeking support for UPA-Left Presidential nominee Pratibha Patil.
But in his reply, Vajpayee refused to lend his support and said that it was too late to ask for support.
The decision probably also came as a surprise to the Rajasthan Governor who rushed back to Jaipur from Mt Abu.
"I feel deeply honoured. This will send the right signal about status of women," said Pratibha Patil.
So what happened in the hours in between? The Left flexed its powerful muscle, telling the go-between M Karunanidhi that they would not accept Shivraj Patil as President.
This, despite the fact that every other ally had fallen in line with the not-so-gentle persuasion of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
However, the Left maintained he was a political lightweight and a weak candidate.
Turn of events
In between, a surprise element Karan Singh, former ruler of Jammu and Kashmir dropped in to meet DMK chief M Karunanidhi.
But then, events began moving fast. Suddenly, a proposal came forward for a woman as President, and then began the hunt for a suitable girl.
All the Congress President's men weren't good enough eventually.
And there emerged a relatively unknown candidate. Her claim to fame was a long, uncontroversial, stint in Maharashtra politics.
She is a Rajput married to a Maratha, Devi Singh Shekhawat from the same region as other contender Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, which is important for the Kshatriya vote.
Pratibha Patil, a lawyer and social activist was also the first woman President of the Maharashtra Congress, a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet and currently Rajasthan Governor.
Her only political spark was when she opposed the Rajasthan government's controversial anti-conversion bill.
CPI-M General Secretary's Prakash Karat also said Pratibha Patil had all the necessary credentials to be the next President.
The Left's first choice Pranab Mukherjee appealed to all parties, including the opposition to support and elect the country's first woman President.
Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi played a key role after the Left put its foot down. Karunanidhi, speaking to NDTV said the decision to choose a woman candidate was a collective one.
"It was a successful meet. Everyone is happy. I thank all those who supported this move. This could be a key step towards 33 per cent reservation for women. This is neither an individual decision nor was it suggested by any individual. It was a collective decision. The decision will become internationally popular," said M Karunanidhi, TN Chief Minister.
However, the larger question remains: Has this game of Presidential roulette really meant the best choice for President has emerged?
The Left's three conditions, including that of a political heavyweight, who could take on Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, seems to have fallen by the wayside when confronted with a politically correct gender choice.
And finally, in a country where Parliament can't agree on women's reservation, is this choice in the end, motivated by sheer political tokenism?
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