UPA moots for first woman President of India

The Left Front–backed United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Center has nominated Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil as its candidate for the Presidential election, a move that may soon see a woman occupy the top Indian Constitutional post in the 60th year of the republic.

Announcing Patil's candidature after a meeting of the Left–UPA coordination committee, June 14, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi called it a "historic moment."

Gandhi said a coordination committee will be set up to ensure the victory of the 72–year–old Congress leader from Maharashtra in the election.

She expressed gratitude to the UPA's partners for working together in this regard.

The meeting was attended, among others, by DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, senior Left leaders Prakash Karat, Abani Roy and A B Bardhan, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and NCP president Sharad Pawar.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who was the Congress' first choice for the post, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was backed by the Left, and HRD Minister Arjun Singh were also present at the meeting.

While the Left Front and DMK did not approve of Shivraj Patil's nomination, the name of Arjun Singh, which was proposed by the DMK, was turned down because it was felt Singh's health might not allow him to do justice to the onerous duties of the president of India that include inspecting guards of honour, an exercise that requires the incumbent to be able to walk.

And, when the Left Front tried to moot Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee's candidature, the Prime Minister promptly intervened, saying that the government could not spare him.

Reacting to the decision of the UPA Government, Pratibha Patil said that her nomination for the President's post as a "big step for women."

"My candidature for the top post is a big step for women...This shows that India has a lot of respect for women," she said, adding that her candidature would "inspire" other women and help in their empowerment.

"(But) empowerment will not come automatically. They will have to work for it," she added.

Patil, who is expected to face a contest from Vice–President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat who is tipped to be an independent candidate with NDA backing, said, "I have never been a rubber stamp Governor and there is no reason why I should be a rubber stamp President. I have my own independent thinking."

Patil's stint in Parliament began in 1985 when she was elected to Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of the Indian Parliament) and became its Deputy Chairperson a little over a year later, a post in which she remained from November 18, 1986 to November 5, 1988.

Between 1986 and 1988, she had also headed Parliamentary Committee on Privileges.

She was Maharashtra Congress chief from 1988 to 1990 before being elected to Lok Sabha from Amravati in 1991.

Patil, who never lost an election, had gone into a virtual political hibernation at the end of her tenure in Lok Sabha and her only apperance in the political scene of Maharashtra was taking part in the party's campaign in elections.

It was in November 2004 that the Congress leadership recalled her to become the Governor of Rajasthan.

A social worker by profession, Patil is associated with various cultural, educational and social welfare organizations.