An Orthodox Syrian Christian was asked by the Hindutva-duo to become President, but scuttled by a Roman Catholic Congresswoman. India is not for the beginners.
Remember P. C. Alexander, the powerful Principal Secretary to Indira Gandhi in the 1980s. Alexander was close to the Gandhi camily and was made Governor of Maharashtra by the Rao government in 1993. But the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance formed the government in Maharashtra in 1995, and this gave an opportunity to L. K. Advani to interact with Governor Alexander.
So impressed was Advani that he offered P. C. Alexander a second term as Governor of Maharashtra in 1998. P. C. Alexander writes in his memoir, “Through the Corridors of Power”, that it did not go down well with Sonia Gandhi and that she displayed her unhappiness.
Later, in 2002, the NDA government of Vajpayee was on the lookout for a new President of the Republic of India, and they both agreed on P. C. Alexander. In fact, the NDA parties also agreed. But then, as recorded by Alexander in his memoir, a smear campaign against him was started by the Congress clique close to Sonia. When they saw that Alexander was undeterred and the BJP was indifferent to these smear campaigns, Congress conveyed to Alexander and the BJP that its support for Alexander as President of India would not materialise.
The NDA, not having the requisite numbers, had to go for A. P. J. Abdul Kalam as the consensus candidate.
Thus, a Roman Catholic scuttled the chances of an Orthodox Syrian Christian, who, in turn, was being backed by the two stalwart Hindutva icons of those days.
FROM ARCHIVE
11 Years Ago
02 Oct.2015