Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Not fair

The editorial is not fair in suggesting that Mr. Shekhawat’s candidature sends out a "tacit message," which implies that those willing to abandon party loyalties can determine the outcome of the presidential election. Mr. Shekhawat commands the respect of many and if some UPA legislators believe he deserves to be elected President, what is wrong in their voting for him?

Col. C.V. Venugopalan,
Palakkad

Mr. Shekhawat is well within his rights to contest and like every contestant has the right to believe he will win. The Constitution says that it is the MPs and the MLAs, not political parties, who elect the President. Cross-voting cannot be termed unfair. If Mr. Shekhawat does get votes from members of the ruling alliance, it will only reflect his popularity, credibility, and non-partisan way of functioning.

Anirudh Govind Rajan,
New Delhi

Legislators should support the most eminent candidate, irrespective of caste, religion, sex, and earlier political affiliations. It is quite possible for a person to be secular even if he was member of a party with religious leanings, and to be communal even if he belongs to a secular party.

It will not be out of place to point out that all national parties align with regional parties that give a lot of importance to caste to get a share of power at the Centre. Mr. Shekhawat has a good record as Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. That he was a BJP man once is immaterial.

M.Y. Kumar,
Mysore

The open letter to Mr. Shekhawat (June 18) was in bad taste. The suggestion that only the ruling party’s nominee should enter Rashtrapati Bhavan and election of the opposition’s nominee would amount to a vote of no-confidence against the incumbent government is unacceptable. In a democracy, anyone including the opposition nominee is entitled to run for President and if an opposition nominee gets elected, it would only enhance the prestige and glory of our democracy.

T.R. Anandan,
Chennai

If, as the letter argues, a ruling party or combine has a "right" to get its man elevated to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Constitution would have provided for the President to be nominated by the ruling party or combine and not for his election through an electoral college.

K. Ponnuswami,
Chennai

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