Who will BJP ‘hand over’ the Presidency of India to?

New Delhi: The answer to the ‘million dollar question’ as to who has a stronger chance of being the first civilian and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of India, i.e. the next President of India, remains in the hands of but two men, and the country will know about this only after June 15 when BJP fields its candidate. The EC will issue the notification of the Presidential election on June 15 and nominations will start from that day. The last date for filing nominations is June 29. So, between June 15 and 29, it will be known who will be the BJP candidate for the post of President. Before that the names are being speculated on the basis of electoral maths and circumstances.

Some are speculating that a Muslim could be the president, given the controversy and international outcry following the BJP spokesperson (now suspended) Nupur Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Muhammad. However, the probability of this happening is zero. Still the name is of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is doing the rounds. Those who are hoping for a Muslim President say that if not the President, then Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi can be appointed as the Vice President. Since Naqvi has not been sent to the Rajya Sabha by BJP, it being speciulated that he may be given the Vice-Presidential seat or Governorship of a state.

It is also being said that BJP can make a South Indian as President asa populist measure of getting some seats from South India in the next Lok Sabha elections. In this context, the names of Telangana Guv Tamilisai Soundararajan and Haryana Guv Bandaru Dattatreya are being cloated. Additionally, the possibility of naming the first tribal president of the country is also being expressed and in this context the names of Chhattisgarh Guv Anusuiya Uikey and former Jharkhand Guv Draupadi Murmu are being discussed. The names of two other women- Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and former Speaker Sumitra Mahajan are also being speculated by some for the position.