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Saturday, Jun 30, 2007
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Sushma Swaraj switches roles

Neena Vyas

Spokesperson for NDA or Shekhawat?

NEW DELHI: Who does Sushma Swaraj speak for?

Not for the Bharatiya Janata Party although she is the deputy leader of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha. Nor for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance that is backing Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as its presidential candidate. It seems now she has taken on the job of personal spokesperson for Mr. Shekhawat.

Before June 18 Ms. Swaraj was one of the spokespersons for the BJP parliamentary party — it was in that capacity she addressed the press in Parliament House.

Then on June 18 she announced at the residence of former Defence Minister George Fernandes, convenor of the NDA, that for the duration of the presidential polls the NDA had appointed her its spokesperson. “That is why,” she had pointed out, “her briefings for the NDA would be at the residence of the NDA convenor.”

It seems that a few days later some members of the NDA objected to the use of the NDA platform for projecting Mr. Shekhawat as not all of them, notably the Shiv Sena, were supporting him. In fact the Sena formally announced on June 25 that it supported the rival candidate Pratibha Patil, who is backed by the ruling coalition at the Centre, the Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Two days ago Ms. Swaraj announced dramatically that she was no longer the NDA spokesperson but the mouthpiece of Mr. Shekhawat. On Friday she reiterated this when she was asked a question specific to the NDA. “I am not the spokesperson for the NDA. I am Mr. Shekhawat’s spokesperson,” she clarified.

Yet, just hours earlier when Ms. Swaraj met Election Commissioner Navin Chawla to demand “appropriate action” by the Commission in the matter of the presidential poll, she signed herself as Sushma Swaraj, MP, Rajya Sabha, Spokesperson, NDA.

Over the last two weeks she has changed her hat three times, leaving the media confused.

She was asked for her comment on a statement issued by Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani appealing to the ruling United Progressive Alliance to withdraw the candidature of Ms. Patil from the presidential poll. Her response: “I will not comment on Advaniji’s statement. Ask the BJP for its comment. I am spokesperson for Shekhawatji.”

Mr. Advani’s statement reiterated the allegations made by the BJP against Ms. Patil over the last one week by the various spokespersons of the BJP on the basis of dirt dug up on Ms. Patil by Mr. Advani’s aide, Sudheendra Kulkarni.

Mr. Advani’s statement ends with an “appeal to “all the responsible leaders of the UPA” to “summon the courage to rise above partisan considerations and correct the mistake [of supporting Ms. Patil] when there is still time to do so.” In short, he suggested the UPA withdraw her name before July 4, the last date for withdrawal of nominations.

A BJP leader said wryly: “I only wish Advaniji could have effectively issued an appeal to all NDA constituents to support Shekhawatji.”

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