Pratibha Patil Set To Be India's First Woman President (INTRO NIGHLEAD)

Thursday 14th of June 2007
India looked set to have its first woman president in Pratibha Patil - Rajasthan governor, social worker and a respected Congress politician - after an adamant Left Thursday refused to back Home Minister Shivraj Patil's candidature.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) named Patil, 72, as its surprise presidential nominee Thursday evening after more than a month's uncertainty and media speculation.

Pratibha Patil's name had never publicly figured in the intense political parleys over the UPA's presidential candidate - and the choice took the nation by surprise.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who had been at the centre of the political discussions, made the formal announcement saying it was a 'historic moment' for India.

If elected, the soft-spoken Congress leader from Maharashtra will be the nation's 12th president. All the previous occupants of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, have been men, including incumbent A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who steps down next month after an eventful five-year tenure.

'It is a matter of great pride for the nation that on the historic moment of the 60th anniversary of our independence, we will have a woman president,' Gandhi told UPA leaders at 7 Race Course Road, the official residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Gandhi said the decision was arrived at 'through the process of consultations' involving the multi-party UPA, the Left and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which together command an overwhelming majority in the electoral college that elects the president.

Thursday was a day of hectic political activity in the national capital, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi playing the critical mediator's role after flying in from Chennai late Wednesday to bridge what at one seemed were irreconcilable differences between the Congress and the Left.

It was the veteran DMK leader who indicated in the evening that there was consensus on 'a woman candidate'. In no time, Congress sources made it known that the person was Pratibha Patil, a politician-cum-social activist from Jalgaon in Maharashtra who has held a variety of posts both in the state and elsewhere since taking to politics way back in 1962.

She was six times cabinet minister in Maharashtra, has been member of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, and in 2004 was named the Rajasthan governor, a post she holds now.

It was clear that Pratibha Patil's choice was also related to the fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was going to prop up Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, a veteran politician who has served as chief minister of Rajasthan, for the presidential elections due July 19.

Pratibha Patil, a Rajput, is married to a Maratha, Devisingh Ranisingh Shekhawat.

Once an advocate in Jalgaon, Pratibha Patil is a post-graduate in arts and law, having studied both in the small town and in Mumbai. She was first elected to the Maharashtra assembly in 1962. She remained a member of the house until 1988.

From 1967 to 1972, she was a deputy minister in the Maharashtra government, and then from 1972 to 1978 was a cabinet minister in the state holding several portfolios. She was the opposition leader in the Maharashtra assembly in 1979-80.

For two years from 1986, Pratibha Patil was deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Widely travelled, she was last elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991, in the general election marred by the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

Besides having been president of the Maharashtra Congress chapter, she is credited with establishing hostels for 'working women' in Mumbai and New Delhi, an engineering college at Jalgaon for rural youth, a women's cooperative bank also at Jalgaon, and schools for poor children in Maharashtra.

Pratibha Patil's choice as UPA's presidential candidate took the nation by surprise considering the high profile nature of Shivraj Patil, who lost the race only because of the resistance put up by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and its allies.

Although the Left never said publicly that it was opposed to Shivraj Patil, communist sources let it be known that they doubted the secular credentials of the minister who is known to be a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba, a leading godman based in Puttaparthi town in Andhra Pradesh.

Once it was evident that Shivraj Patil would not be able to make it to the presidential palace, the names of Power Minister SushilKumar Shinde and Congress veteran Karan Singh were brandied about. But pro-Left sources hinted that they disapproved of even Karan Singh, the scion of Kashmir's royal family.

The Left remained adamant on blocking names it did not like even after Karunanidhi announced that he would go with anyone the Congress chose as its presidential nominee.

Early Thursday, Karunanidhi held discussions with Left leaders and then met Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. He again got in touch with the Left, leading to a joint meeting of the Left and UPA where Pratibha Patil's name was picked.

Amid the UPA confusion, the BJP-led NDA was preparing to put up a strong fight, by probably fielding Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Shekhawat is known to have wide connections among India's political class and could be counted to draw votes even from sections of the UPA, making him a formidable contestant.

'This is the reason we have to ensure the Left support,' one Congress leader told IANS.

CricketCurry.com - Cricket Discussion Forum

Roger Federer Drops Set On Way to Victory Over Kohlschreiber

Opting to disregard one of the golden rules of sport kept Roger Federer on Centre Court for rather longer than he would have liked today. At two sets and a break up on Philipp Kohlschreiber, the Swiss slipped into experimental mood rather than applying the killer touch and paid for it when he dropped his first set of the tournament before bouncing back to win 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1. The fact ..

Andy Murray Main Attraction on Wimbledon Day 2

Although we dare not offer the Nelsonian exhortation "England expects" to Andy Murray because he is a Scot, it is fair enough to remind him that Britain expects much of him today - and, fingers crossed, over the next two weeks. Resolutely sidestepping the hype, Murray is focused on the job in hand, though the fact that he will be playing the 2009 Championships in Fred Perry clothing i..

Wimbledon 2009: Federer finery finds favour

Roger Federer talks a good game – which is only to be expected. After over half a decade at the very summit of the sport, he has been able to hone his interview technique to perfection – even if his latest tennis outfit becomes the main talking point. His interview style has become a self-referential topic of conversation in press conferences. “I guess it already starts that I speak a few diffe..

Wimbledon 2009: Stylish Federer off to impressive start

Roger Federer justified his role as favourite to win the 2009 men's title by swatting aside the challenge of Yen-Hsun Lu from Taipei 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 on a Centre Court where, despite overcast conditions, the new roof remained open throughout. It was a highly impressive performance, since Lu did his nation proud with a battling show, especially in a tightly-contested first set. Federer's ..

Wimbledon 2009: Tsonga stretched to the limit

The new No. 2 Court witnessed a thriller as ninth seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga battled through his first round match against Kazakhstan’s Andrey Golubev, a man ranked 62 places below him, in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5). The tie-break in the third set saw some Tsonga magic as he raced around the ball to drive a winning forehand across the court. This was followed by another ra..

Wimbledon 2009: Djokovic slips past battling Benetteau

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic survived an endurance test against Frenchman Julien Benetteau to win through to the second round but he needed three hours and 28 minutes of concerted effort to complete the job. Benettau, in his sixth Wimbledon, shocked Djokovic by winning a 61-minute first set but was hit by falls in the third game of the third set and the last game of the match, which did not help ..

Wimbledon 2009: Verdasco vanquishes Briton's challenge

Sometimes it can seem that there is a gulf a mile wide between two players facing each other across the net. That was the case today when the number seven seed Fernando Verdasco saw off James Ward 6-1, 6-3, 6-4. No doubt the mere experience of playing on No.1 Court will stand Ward in good stead, but Verdasco’s superior skill in every department left the British wild card brutally exposed. Verd..

Wimbledon 2009: Soderling's star still shining

It was Andy Warhol who predicted, back in 1968, that: "In the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes." He did not have tennis in mind, but the old boy was right. For a few brief moments this month – admittedly a little long than quarter of an hour – Robin Soderling was a star. The Swede was the first man to beat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros and, from that fourth-round ..

Wimbledon 2009: Blake attacks Tour after crashing out

James Blake criticised the ATP Tour schedule after becoming the first big casualty of Wimbledon 2009. The 17th seed was upset in straight sets 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) by the on-song Italian Andreas Seppi on Court 3, the old No.2 Court, known as the “Graveyard of Champions”. A fatigued Blake admitted afterwards that it was difficult to stay focused while playing so much tennis and believed the tour ca..

Dry day means roof has no chance to shine

Day One of the 123rd Wimbledon Championships – and it was a disaster. Well, it was if you had just spent a fortune on a new roof for the Centre Court. So, what sort of weather did we have on the dawn of the brave new age of life with a roof? Sunshine, a few clouds and hours and hours of uninterrupted play. Not a drop of rain to be seen. Rats! The roof will have to wait for another day. Other th..

Wimbledon 2009: Roger Federer Wins First Round Encounter; Beats Lu 7-5, 6-3, 6-2

Roger Federer won his first round encounter at Centre Court today defeating Lu of Chinese Taipei in straight sets. Roger needed less than 80 minutes to proceed to the second round at Wimbledon 2009. Roger Federer who is considered by most as the Greatest Player of All Time is looking to beat Pete Sampras' record by winning his 15th Grand Slam title here. Roger looked comfortable during the..

Vettel untouchable as Red Bull dominate British Grand Prix

What seemed to be a foregone conclusion after qualifying became one almost the moment Sebastian Vettel launched his Red Bull RB5 into the lead of the British Grand Prix. In a crushingly dominant drive, which underlined the major step forward that the Milton Keynes team have made on high-speed circuits, Vettel pulled away from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn by as much as a second a lap in a series..

FIA post-race press conference - Great Britain

1st Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 1h22m49.328s; 2nd Mark Webber (Red Bull), 1h23m04.516s; 3rd Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP), 1h23m30.503s. Q: Sebastian, your first dry grand prix victory. Fantastic start. In the first stint you are pulling away at a second a lap from everyone else. You were told to calm down by your team in the middle stint but was it really as easy as it looked today? Sebastia..

Roger Federer to Begin Proceedings at Centre Court: Wimbledon 2009

Welcome to the 123rd Championships, staged for the first time this year beneath a breathtaking canopy which bids fair to enable Wimbledon to match the Theatre of Dreams title so proudly held by Manchester United and their Old Trafford stadium. Except that, in the case of Centre Court, it might be more appropriately called the Cathedral of Dreams. For one man, however, dream has transformed into ni..

Wimbledon 2009: Roger Federer Focuses on Title, Not Records

Five-time champion Roger Federer was relaxed and confident ahead of what could be an historic tournament for him, although any talk of taking Pete Sampras' Grand Slam record was relegated to a mere afterthought – the Swiss 2nd seed wants his Wimbledon title back, with any records that come with it mere icing on the cake. "The focus is on the first round and the first point," said..

Andy Murray Ready for Title Push at Wimbledon 2009

Andy Murray has given his fans the news they wanted to hear, declaring: “I’m ready to win a Grand Slam.” The world No.3 believes that the time has come to break his duck in the four majors, and is ready for a fortnight of Murray-mania at SW19. “I'd obviously love to win here,” said the Scot. “ I enjoy playing on grass and I love playing at Wimbledon.“ Murray reached the final of the US Ope..

Mentally, Physically Unfit Rafael Nadal Withdraws from Wimbledon 2009

Rafael Nadal has announced he will not defend his Wimbledon title. The world number one and top seed had said after the French Open that he would not play Wimbledon if he was not 100% and so it has come to pass. "I’m here and I'm just not 100%. I'm better than what I was a couple of weeks ago but I don’t feel right," Nadal told a packed press conference on Friday evening at the..

Australian Open 2009: Federer's Velvet Sledgehammer Crushes Young Del Potro

Roger Federer reminded everyone of his world-class ability as he disposed of Juan Martin Del Potro with the loss of only three games in their men’s quarterfinal at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday. The No.2 seed, who two days ago was tested in a five-set thriller with Tomas Berdych, was in sparkling form as he demolished the Argentine 6-3 6-0 6-0 in 80 minutes. Critics of the three-time Australian..

Australian Open 2009: Tsonga Beats James Blake in Three Sets

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga displayed the va-va-voom that took him to the Australian Open final last year as he ousted American James Blake 6-4 6-4 7-6(3) in a magical encounter on Rod Laver on Monday night. Similar in size, strength and sheer talent, the match up between the fifth and ninth seeds always promised to explosive, and the combatants did not disappoint in a match that produced spectacular te..

Australian Open 2009 - Fernando Gonzales No Trouble for Rafael Nadal

Top seed Rafael Nadal has eased into the quarterfinals of Australian Open 2009, brushing aside a flat Fernando Gonzalez 6-3 6-2 6-4 late on Monday afternoon. While Nadal did not look as sharp as he did when eliminating Tommy Haas in the third round – in that match he hit 53 winners and recorded just eight errors – he did enough to ease past the Chilean in straight sets. Gonzalez was undoubte..

Australian Open 2009: Roger Federer outlasts dogged Berdych

World No.2 Roger Federer has survived an almighty scare in the fourth round of Australian Open 2009, downing a brave Tomas Berdych 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 6-2. The Swiss maestro found himself in big trouble early on when his groundstrokes were returned with interest by the No.20 seed, who beat Federer in the opening round of the 2004 Athens Olympics but never since then in seven subsequent meetings. ..

Australian Open 2009: Roddick gallops past Robredo

In-form American Andy Roddick has blitzed his way past Tommy Robredo 7-5 6-3 6-3 to comfortably reach the quarterfinals of Australian Open 2009. Roddick’s victory would be a bitter pill to swallow for the Spaniard. Not only had he cruised to this stage of the draw by dropping only 18 games, but he has now lost to Roddick a staggering 10 consecutive times. Even so, the No.21 seed looked like ..

Australian Open 2009: Bartoli bounces Jankovic out of Open

Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli has caused a major upset on day seven of Australian Open 2009, defeating women’s world No.1 Jelena Jankovic 6-1 6-4 in the fourth round. Bartoli, the 2007 Wimbledon finalist, came out with all guns blazing, clubbing seven winners to Jankovic’s none in the first three games in the opening set. In her post-match press conference, Bartoli said she was hopeful coming i..

Australian Open 2009: Del Potro first man into quarters

Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina is the first man through to the quarterfinals of Australian Open 2009 following a convincing 5-7 6-4 6-3 6-2 win over Marin Cilic of Croatia. In a match dominated by big hits and serves, it was a low unforced error count that helped the No.8 seed on the way to his first Melbourne Park quarterfinal appearance, and only his second in any Grand Slam event. The..

Australian Open 2009: No sweat for Brilliant Serena

World No.2 Serena Williams has progressed to the final 16 of Australian Open 2009 with a 6-1 6-4 victory over China’s Shuai Peng on Saturday. Although finishing with a routine scoreline, it was a match of two halves that Williams played against the world No.41. In the opening set, the American was all business, dishing out 16 winners and winning the point when landing her first serve on 92 p..

Australian Open 2009: Adorable Ana Ivanovic Goes Down to Alisa Kleybanova

Ana Ivanovic has been bundled out of Australian Open 2009, going down in one of the matches of the tournament to Russian No. 29 seed Alisa Kleybanova, who won 7-5 6-7(5) 6-2. Ivanovic, the 2008 women’s singles finalist, drew upon all her fighting qualities over nearly three hours at Hisense Arena, but was ultimately powerless against the sheer force of Kleybanova’s game. The pair exchanged a..

Australian Open 2009: Roger Federer irresistible as Marat Safin falls

Roger Federer has put on another masterful display on a court he has come to dominate in recent years, knocking out the ever-dangerous Marat Safin in straight sets to move through to the fourth round of Australian Open 2009. Billed as the match of the tournament so far – and a rematch of their famous semifinal at Australian Open 2005 which Safin clinched 9-7 in the fifth set – the encounter did..

Australian Open 2009: Roger Federer fires; now for Safin

Roger Federer has breezed through his second round Australian Open 2009 match against Russian Evgeny Korolev 6-2 6-3 6-1, setting up a tantalising third-round clash with Marat Safin. Three-time champion Federer was at his imperious best against the rising Korolev, controlling play from the back of the court as the errors mounted for his opponent. Federer’s first break came in the fourth game..

Australian Open 2009: Safin sets up mouth-watering clash with Roger Federer

Australian Open 2005 champion Marat Safin has breezed through to the third round of the tournament after downing Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in straight sets, 7-5 6-2 6-2. The Russian looked in brilliant form on Margaret Court Arena, setting up a mouth-watering match-up against Roger Federer in the next round. Federer defeated Russian Evgeny Korolev 6-2 6-3 6-1 on Wednesday afternoon. Saf..

Australian Open 2009: Cilic chips his way into third round

Croatian young gun Marin Cilic has moved through to the third round of Australian Open 2009 following a hard-fought 6-2 6-3 4-6 6-3 victory over Serbian Janko Tipsarevic. Both men came into the match with points to defend from last year’s performance at the Open. Cilic made the fourth round in 2008, while Tipsarevic extended Roger Federer to 10-8 in the fifth set of an epic third round match 12..