Who will be the next Prime Minister?

With the General Elections around the corner, leaders are all eyeing for the top job in the country. Who will ultimately occupy the seat is something that is for us to decide. But who is most likely to be the next Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy? Dr. Manmohan Singh is the favored choice of the Congress Party. He however maintains that he is not up for the job, and with his recent surgery many are doubtful of his candidacy as Prime Minister.

Although viewed by some as a very weak politician, Dr. Singh is known for his credibility, integrity, administration and financial skill. His stint as finance minister saved the nation from an extreme financial crisis. His government has many achievements to his credit, from the Tsunami relief, to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, to the Indo-US nuclear deal. His tenure, however saw an increase in terror attacks, including the attacks in Mumbai. The way he has handled the financial crisis, has been commendable.

But will all these help him become the Prime Minister again? More importantly, will he accept the top job again? There is a section in the Congress Party that wants the Gandhi family scion, Rahul Gandhi, to take over the reins of the country. But is Rahul Gandhi indeed the right choice for PM? Is he really worth it or is it going to be like a throne that he would inherit by being the heir apparent? He certainly has a huge following among the youth, but will this following translate into votes, and will this help him be the next PM? Will Sonia Gandhi be the next Prime Minister, after successfully pulling off a victory in 2004? She declined the post then, but will she take it up now if the UPA gets a clear mandate? Or will she, as many claim and believe, run the show from behind?

While the Congress party as a matter of policy does not declare its Prime Ministerial or Chief Ministerial candidate, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has already declared Sharad Pawar as its candidate for PM, perhaps showing signs of cracks in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The BJP meanwhile had more than a year ago declared L.K.Advani as the Prime Ministerial candidate. Advani is widely seen as a hard core seasoned politician, whose role in the Babri Masjid demolition has been repeatedly questioned. He was the Deputy PM and the Home Minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) govt., and has a good track record in terms of delivery. He also stood for high standards of values in politics and has been a strong opponent of corruption.

Many corporates including Ratan Tata, Sunil Bharti Mittal and Anil Ambani (who is widely seen as a Samajwadi Party man) has endorsed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendrabhai Modi as their ideal choice for PM. Modi is no doubt Corporate India’s favorite politician. In his tenure, he has attracted more than Rs.1,20,000 crores as investment in Gujarat and has an excellent track record in governance. His stature rises above the party, and his following extends beyond Gujarat’s borders. Even a CPM MP from Kerala, Abdullah Kutty praised Modi for his style of governance (and subsequently got suspended for doing so). Modi’s role in the Gujarat Riots of 2002 have made many believe that he is a Hindutva hardliner politician. He was denied a visa to the US for gross human rights violations, and is viewed as a mass murderer. Modi has, however, endorsed Advani as his PM candidate of choice, and has shown no desire to become PM anytime soon.

But Modi, no doubt is second in line in the BJP for the top job. The lady in pink, Mayawati, has expressed her desire to become Prime Minster. The elephant trampled the Samajwadi Party in UP, and is making increasing headway and political gain in other states, giving a scare among all political parties. Will Behenji create the magic that Sonia Gandhi did in 2004? Will she ever become Prime Minister? Her work for the upliftment of the oppressed dalits, and her socially intergrating approach in the last UP state elections has been commendable; but she has widely been accused of wide spread corruption, especially the lavish Birthday parties she has every year. The parties of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) are constantly bickering among themselves for the top job. They are becoming a considerable force, and if consolidated, they could give the UPA and the NDA a run for their seats.

A very peculiar observation is that among all probables for the candidate of PM, only Rahul Gandhi is young. Being a young country, we are still being run by politicians who are in their 70s and 80s. Is this election going to be a turning point in Indian Politics? Will Young India be run by a young Prime Minster? Do we have any other young politicians who can lead India? That is for you to decide!

Source: live Mint