Pranab and Shivraj both could not imagine the birth of an unknown woman in the fray, so they could not use ‘Khadau’. They lost the last chance. The entrance of "The Best Loyal" asks a question "Does the Best man always get to the Rashtrapati Bhawan?" Today it is obvious to most of us that the answer is "no," and that those who seek the presidency are not the best the nation has to offer.

Now Presidential Election is in this month and the one common denominator between UPAandLeft and Indendent candidate is that both will be nominated because they are seen as candidates who could win.

The Best Man is a 1964 film of USA

This film is based on the Broadway play of the same name, both of which are written by Gore Vidal. Starring Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Lee Tracy, it lays bare the seamy political maneuverings behind the nomination of a Presidential candidate. Tracy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

The film analyzes American politics not just from the standpoint of 1960/64 but from the Republic's 200 plus year history. The revelations presented in "The Best Man" are just as true in the year 2006 and will be rerun to some extent during the Presidential conventions in the summer of 2008 in America.

In my view the ghost of this film may enter in the cinerio of current Presidential election of India.

Surprisingly still relevant for today, the film delivers an insightful, biting look at the behind the scenes wrangling, wheeling and dealing, that must go on at a wide open political convention where no clear candidate is the right choice, or has sewn up the position in advance.

Drama acted in Indian Vatican 10 Janpath

The whole drama is acted in Indian Vatican 10 Janpath for the selection of the UPA and Left candidate showed that in UPA and Left actors are selected by directors, producers and financers in 10 Janpath in smoke filled back rooms. We have seen the humorous drama of Renounce of Sonia Gandhi in the same 10 janpath.

Chappal of Pratibha is fit instead of boots

Pranab Mukherjee was the first runner candidate named by Leftists for the President post to get the UPA and Left nomination. He is the only leader of Congress who is still a challenge for the Communists Parties in the West Bengal. By proposing his name they wanted to be free from him. His Boots were fit in the legs of the leftists but not fit for the 10 janpath. He is loyal but not 100% loyalist and not the rubber stamp of Sonia Gandhi. His name is as suspicious leader in the diary of Sonia Gandhi.

So, second runner Shivraj Patil, Gandhis’ most loyalist began to run on the play ground in the exchange of Pranb Mukherjee. Unfortunately his boots were also not fit in the legs of Leftists and without their help UPA can’t declare its candidate.

Back-room deals

This political drama of the exercise of selecting the presidential candidate as other posts by the Congress looks at the back-room deals that go into the making of a President as other important portfolios; special interests, percentage of loyalies towards Gandhis, fringe groups as of the past, the whole works.

Blessings of Pope and 10 Janpath

Media reporting of daily shouting created humor as well as suspense. And just when any one thinks he’she knows who'll get the nod in the process of up and down this name and that name, the screw turns at the end. She herself is weak but blessings of Pope of Rome and 10 Janpath may give strength to her.

“May the best man win?”

“The Best elderman,” which obviously comes from the hollow people wish “May the bestelderman win means may the Bhairo Singh Shekhawat win,” takes place at a national stage at the time where the ruling parties’ candidate was in doubt. The UPA of power grabbers with the red hands from Singrur Nandigram to Bastar was not named till before June 14. We all know that it is the Sonia Gandhi that already controls the UPAandLeft house.

Now her partner media is belling with UPAandLeft “First woman for Presidentship” “Shekhawat vs Shekhawat”; Shivsena wants to sing ‘Amchi Patil’ ‘Aapla manush’. Mamta’s mamta mercy may be pendulum as in the past. Mamta keeps one step towards Congress and second step out of it. Character of Shivsena is ‘Maharashtra is India’ as for Congress ‘Indira was India.’ Like a frog, tiger of Maharashtra can’t see out of the well.

Dr. APJ Kalam, out going President was perhaps silently interested. Which of the many men Pranab, Shivraj, Shinde, karn Singh, Arjun Singh and so on beyond the Bhairo Singh Shikhawat running will follow him as President?

Changing of mohras in the game of Shatranj

Now there are two main contenders, one of them is Pratibha Patil. The second formidable independent candidate is Bhairo Sinngh Shekhawat. But what will be in future

Drama of Indian maskers as ‘The Best man (1964 USA film)

This fortnight drama of Congress and its right and left hands is not new. Vigillant people see this (nautanki of bahurupiyas) drama of maskers not only from the independence day of August 15, 1947 but in the pre-indepencece days also. What happened with Subhash Chandra Bose? We are the people of a greatest democratic country of the world; So many feathers are in the crowns of our leaders. Acharya Kriplani who was a President of Congress at a time had been defeated in the parliament constituency of my district of Raipur by the unknown person Mr. Gupta. This is the one eample.

The story of ‘The Best man’ film

The story concerns the political backbiting and smear politics involved in a presidential election year scramble by potential presidential party nominees. Lee Tracy (in an Oscar-nominated performance and his final screen role) is Art Hockstader, a dying president who refuses to throw his support behind any of his party's presidential hopefuls. Hoping to get the nod, as the party's presidential candidate is liberal do-gooder William Russell (Henry Fonda). His wife Alice (Margaret Leighton) wants to get a divorce from Russell but is delaying the divorce proceedings until after the party convention. Opposing Russell for the nomination is Joe Cantwell (Cliff Robertson), a slick and unscrupulous political monster who will use any bit of dirt to get ahead in the party. When he discovers that Russell once suffered from mental problems, he threatens to use it against him.

William Russell (Henry Fonda) and Joe Cantwell (Cliff Robertson) are the two leading candidates for the Presidential nomination of an unspecified political party. Both have potentially fatal vulnerabilities. Russell is a principled intellectual (believed by many critics and fans to be based on Adlai Stevenson). A sexual indiscretion has alienated his wife Alice (Margaret Leighton). In addition, he has a past nervous breakdown to live down.

Art Hockstader (Lee Tracy). The pragmatic Hockstader prefers Russell, but worries about his indecisiveness and overdedication to principle.

One of Russell's aides digs up Sheldon Bascomb (Shelley Berman). He served in the military with Cantwell and is willing to expose his homosexuality.

Hockstader and Russell's closest advisors press Russell to grab the opportunity, but he resists.

As the first round of voting begins, he arranges to meet Cantwell privately, to let him know that he knows his rival's darkest secret. But though Cantwell doesn't understand what makes his opponent tick, he knows this much - Russell doesn't have the stomach for dirty tactics. In the end, Russell surprises Cantwell by throwing his support behind a third, relatively unknown candidate, ending both their chances.

Shakespeare's quote..What's in a name?

I mention here a comment of Mr.Charu related to my article titled Death of Ramchandra Gandhi and Gandhi dynasty: “

“Good thought sir! This one reminds me one of the famous shakespeare's quote.. What's in a name?

But UPAandLeft thinks every thing is in a name. Because of the name Presidentship of Conress and Chair of UPA gifted to Sonia Gandhi. Rahul is zero but he is with every quality only de to “Gandhi’ title. I know personalities with surname Bahadur, Chakravarti, Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi, Dhurandhar but not a single in the competition of ‘Gandhi’. Gandhi is all rounder as we see in gandhigiri.

Conclusion

Ultimate conclusion of this article is that stopping the wrong woman from becoming president is more important in making sure that the best man wins.

In this presidential election stakes are high. Who can win without default? The Challenge of Independent candidate is big so UPAandLeft parties pull out all the stops to degrade the post of president also as PM post is devalued by cunning low smiled present PM.

E-mail: agrawapremendra@hotmail.com