Hindu Nationalist Becomes India’s Vice-President
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India’s new Vice President BS Shekhawat after election
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By
Zafarul-Islam Khan, IOL
South Asia
correspondent
NEW DELHI
, August 13 (IslamOnline) - BJP candidate and former Rajasthan state
Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhwat was elected
India
’s 12th Vice-President Monday, August 12. He defeated the joint
opposition candidate Sushil Kumar Shinde of the Congress Party by 149
votes.
In
an electoral college comprising 788 Parliament members of the lower
and upper houses, Shekhawat polled 454 votes against Shinde’s 305.
In all, 766 MPs cast their franchise in a straight contest in which
Shekhawat had a clear edge going by the ruling BJP-led National
Democratic Alliance’s combined strength in both houses of
Parliament.
The
star of today’s voting was MMDK leader Vaiko, who was flown from
Tamil Nadu for the voting. Vaiko has been arrested under
anti-terrorism law, POTA, for his support to LTTE which is a banned
terrorist organization in
India
.
Shinde,
a prominent Congress dalit (so-called “untouchable”) leader
from
Maharashtra
, had the support of the entire opposition.
Voting
had begun this morning and continued till 1700 hours. The result was
announced later in the evening. Both the vice presidential candidates
were present in the Parliament House where polling was being held.
Shekhawat
was not the obvious choice. It was speculated that either Kashmir
Chief Minister Farouq Abdullah or Parliament upper house deputy
chairman Najma Heptullah will be the vice presidential candidate but
all this changed after the dramatic choice of Abdul Kalam for the post
of President. After him it was not possible for another Muslim to be
considered for the vice presidential post.
Vice
President Krishan Kant, whose term was to expire on August 20 this
year, died in office late last month a broken man. He was dumped by
the NDA as presidential candidate after Abdul Kalam was suddenly
discovered.
The
new vice president is a seasoned politician. Shekhawat has been thrice
chief minister of the north-western state of Rajasthan and led the
opposition for years in the desert state. He is a BJP stalwart but has
cultivated good relations with the state’s Muslim community.
Born
on
October 23, 1923
in the small
village
of
Khachariyawas
in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, Shekhawat gives credit for reaching
the high office to destiny and “magic of democracy.”
Shekhawat
has behind him half a century-long political career. He started as a
member of the state legislative assembly. Death of his father in early
age forced Shekhawat, the eldest son in the family, to leave education
after passing high school and join police service to support the
family before
Independence
.
The
dawn of
Independence
saw young Shekhawat quit the police job and plunge into electoral
politics successfully contesting the first legislative assembly
election from Danta-Ramgarh constituency in 1952 on BJP precursor Jan
Sangh’s ticket.
Shekhawat’s
election will benefit the BJP which has been successful to install
many of its stalwarts as state governors.
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