Son over Self

Met up at a friends birthday party last week .. a few drinks down, good finger food and the Karachi bakery's  birthday cake kindled the arm chair activists in us and soon we were talking about 

UPA3 vs NDA

Rahul versus Modi

Congress vs Jagan

Chandra Babu Naidu vs other fitness experts ( assuming people compete only in their core  competence field)

Pranab Mukerjee vs .. well no one

Though the post for the president of India is a largely ceremonial post, this time it came up for a lot of debate.

The incumbent by all accounts had  the hallmarks of the government she represented  — ineffectual and damaged by accusations of corruption. Pratibha Devisingh Patil  was allotted defence land to build a cosy retirement nest. With 12 trips overseas since taking over, she also racked up foreign travel bills that cost India more than 2 billion rupees ($39 million), the most by any Indian head of state. Such lavishness has even led some to question the whole presidential institution within a parliamentary democracy. The president is the constitutional head but has limited powers, similar to that of the Queen in the UK despite living in a 340 room palace that was once the British Viceroy's residence .

If the position has limited power and Pranab Mukerjee is an epitome for austerity, then why this controversy .. controversy di?

Because … Pranab Mukerjee had to be cleared off the path to the prime ministerial post so that the Gandhi scion..... one Mr Rahul Gandhi can plonk his well moisturised derriere on it. If someone asked me I would rather have Amitabh Bachchan as the President. At least we wouldn’t need an interpreter to interpret his English or the chairman of the Tata Group, Mr Ratan Tata who is retiring in December may well be the best brand ambassador to project India’s growing business clout overseas. But who asks me ?

Good work to Mommy dear. She even got Mamta to do a complete U turn to support Pranabji. There are indications that she may even lead the 2014 campaign with Rahul as the PM candidate.  True Indian motherly feelings here. Son above self.  If she was any Italian she would be vying the chair herself. With over 500 political dynasties in India who between themselves have practically cornered almost all the political posts both in the centre and state, there is nothing wrong in one poor widow struggling to get her son into the family business.

Migliori auguri to Sonia!! ( ‘Best wishes’ in Italian)