'Our presidential candidate is not a pushover'

Q&A - Sushma Swaraj

In the midst of one of the toughest presidential elections since 1969, NDA spokesperson Sushma Swaraj speaks on Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (the NDA-backed candidate) and why her party does not need to take lessons from the UPA on how to honour women

With the Shiv Sena parting ways with the NDA on support to Shekhawat and murmurs from the Janata Dal (U) and the rest of the NDA constituents, do you think the NDA has weakened during this presidential elections?
Not at all. The Shiv Sena always told us it would be in a bind as far as Pratibha Patil was concerned. While we were not surprised by its decision, we had hoped they would come with us. As the Shiv Sena itself has pointed out, this is not the end of the road. We will review our ties after these polls are over, not before. I do not think anything else needs to be said on this. There have been no murmurs from the JD(U). In fact, Sharad Yadav is one of those who proposed Shekhawatji's name. As far as the other constituents of the NDA are concerned, you need to look at Bhairon Singhji's nomination papers. Each constituent of the NDA has signed the papers as a proposer. Does that seem as though they are in two minds?

You are a woman in an unstructured field like politics. Don't you think you are being unfair in not supporting Pratibha Patil in her bid to become the first woman president of the country?
I would have supported her had her nomination been an honest choice rather than a compulsion of the Congress. She was chosen only after several other candidates were rejected by the Congress' allies. Her being a woman was an afterthought. The UPA is made up of parties who have torn the Bill on reservation for women in legislatures on the floor of the House, who oppose the Bill so vehemently that despite the home minister's initiative, it has not even been drafted. The UPA then has the cheek to talk about the rights of women and project itself as a votary of women empowerment by putting up a candidate like Pratibha Patil. We refuse to be taken in by this hypocrisy. The NDA may not have put up a woman candidate but we introduced the Bill on women's reservation in Parliament. We have no need to learn how to honour women from the UPA.

The Third Front has not yet decided to support Shekhawat, although the NDA supported a second term for President Kalam. Do you expect them to support you?
The Third Front is made up of parties that are anti-Congress and oppose the Congress tooth and nail in the states where they have a presence. Looking at this, I feel that these parties, after they have made up their minds, will come with us.

Why is it that these parties, despite being anti-Congress, are hesitant to stand openly with the NDA? Don't you think both you and the Third Front are being a bit hypocritical?
Where is the hypocrisy in this? We have asked for support for Shekhawatji. They say they need time. All these parties have their own difficulties and compulsions related to their own politics, which make them want to maintain equi-distance from not only the NDA but also the UPA. We understand this and hope that despite all this, they will stand with us. We stood with them on a second term for President Kalam and we hope they will return the support.

How long will you wait for their answer?
Till July 19.

This particular campaign is being described as a hardball campaign. Never has a presidential candidate been hammered by so much criticism. Don't you think this is lowering the standards of the presidential elections?
Let me make it very clear that I have not raised any issue related to Pratibha Patil's past dealings or any case related to her. Having said that, the issues being raised by the BJP are present in the public domain and have appeared in the media. The BJP is only raising questions which arise from these revelations. What is wrong with that? Don't you want a person of probity to be president? Isn't it better to know the truth about the candidates? As for Shekhawatji himself, he says he does not want anything personal to be raised about the UPA-Left candidate, and I have stuck to that.

Your candidate, despite his much-touted appeal across party lines, is poised to lose simply because the numbers are against him. In such a situation, why did he enter a contest. Have you spoken to him about it?
Well, you may think he is going to lose, but Shekhawatji certainly does not think so. I speak to him every day and this is the impression he has given me. Let me also tell you that his decision to stand for the elections is not a new one. He has been mulling this for a while. The numbers have been known to him for a while as well. He has his own calculations and his confidence stems from more than a half a century in active politics. It isn't as if the fact that the UPA-Left has more votes has been a mystery to him. He is entering the contest with full knowledge of its implications. If he has decided to fight, we can only give him all the support he requires. He wants to fight these elections on the basis of national issues and constitutionality.

These presidential elections are characterised by bitterness, while the vice-president is exuding an absurd confidence. What do you hope to gain when you lose these elections?
It's you who say we are losing, not we. We feel Shekhawatji will win and we will continue to say that till the last vote is cast and counted. Our candidate is not a pushover and politics is full of possibilities. Why give up half-way?