2013’s Prime Minister Hopefuls

Politics never works on premonition, while some may consider that a deviation, psephology in itself thrives on variation. Miracles indeed are as sacrosanct to the art of political predictions as mandates, manifestos and mathematics. The Indian electoral system, the machinery behind arguably the most complex and certainly the largest democracy in the world, adds that much more madness to the method of predicting margins in the polling process.

We have much to look forward to in 2013 – the call for an early general election likely in the coming year, ahead of United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA’s) second tenure in power coming to a grand finale. Now is the time to assess who will lead the nation through five crucial years of a much-needed second wave of economic impetus.

We’ve put together a list of five hopeful candidates who are most likely to take the seat of power. Here’s our own exit poll verdict of your future PMOI (Prime Minister Of India, in case you are wondering what that is. Pronounced peemwah, at the cost of sounding total Bihar-i)

Narendra Modi - BJP

Modi Mania might find an entry in the upcoming edition of Oxford or Webster’s dictionary - such is the powerful Gujarat Chief Minster’s ability to feed on economic empathy - communal and criminal issues are long forgotten. With the Congress’ leading opponent Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the midst of a leader lacuna, a Modi Mania and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) combine is more than likely to upsurge an already gutted Gadkari and gang at the helm of the party’s national affairs.

Palaniappan Chidambaram - INC

When in 1945, a boy was born into a Chettiar family in Tamil Nadu’s Kandanur they named him Palaniappan Chidambaram, initialled PC decades before technocrats coined an identical abbreviation for the Personal Computer, a device that has since gone on replicate and at times replace (all pun intended) the human brain. Decades later, PCs run the world just as PC runs the Indian National Congress (INC). And what about the Gandhi’s one may ask – all by themselves, it’s honestly a herculean task.  With anti-incumbency, anti-corruption, anti-Wal-Mart and every other anti-panty protest stripping the Congress bare naked, 10-Janpath is no longer its daddy do all and the upcoming general elections have left PC computing whether votes would be in GBs, MBs or KBs.

Lal Krishna Advani - BJP

For a man who joined active politics before India achieved independence, Lal Krishna Advani has come a long way - without becoming Prime Minister that is. He has been a Deputy before (to PMOI Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 2002 - 2004), but whoever thought that mattered. In essence, Advani is approaching his last shot at occupying 7 Race Course Road, one that can’t be cast as weak, since he remains fit and as eloquent an orator as ever. Minus the “I like Jinnah” rants that got him flak from the RSS, he has steered largely clear from controversy in recent years, exemplifying a statesman quality few on this list can embody. One more Rath Yatra then?

Rahul Gandhi - INC

With a great grandfather, grandmother and father having served as Prime Ministers, a  multiple number of times, it is obviously pressure time for the scion of India’s largest political dynasty, except few believe it’s the right time. But with the Uttar Pradesh election failure last year, weighing him down a resurgent Rahul might manage to pull off a power packed campaign for the UPA in the national polls and that might just be his ticket to becoming the next PMOI. Till then he could certainly work on his oratory skills and sartorial sense.

Mulayam Singh Yadav - SP

Mulayam Singh’s very name is a digression from any destined diktat. Only in politics and films can one find aberrations to the effect where a Lion (Singh) would be prefixed with Mulayam (soft). In the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers’ demeanour though exists this uncanny knack of being both simultaneously with the Samajwadi Party’s (SP’s) ever growing goon exploits and its ability to maintain a soft silence. The SP is however going to play a crucial role in the permutations and combinations of seating in the Lok Sabha and netajee might well be the dark horse in the race.

Vote responsibly. Jai Hind!