Who will be the next Prime Minister of India?

With the nuclear deal  on its way, India is looking for its next big issue. No, I am not talking about terrorism. That is always last on our priority. I am referring to the next general election. The current government might not call for elections until March 2009 because of its unfinished task on Inflation. So, BJP is already getting ready for this and they have decided upon their prime ministerial candidate. LK Advani will be one of the aspirants for the posts. Advani is 80 and he is older than John McCain. Congress as always did not declare who their prime ministerial candidate would be, but I am pretty sure they would use Manmohan Singh one more time. Because, Rahul Gandhi is not ready and people might not accept Sonia Gandhi.

Those are the candidates from the two major national parties.

However, the regional parties will be playing a major role as always. Neither Congress nor BJP can come to power on their own. They need the support of other parties and other parties need the support of congress or BJP. So with this dynamics and volatility in mind let us take a look at the 10 possible prime ministerial candidates for 2009.

1. Manmohan Singh : The accidental politician might find himself involved in one more accident. Depending upon what Sonia Gandhi decides. He could serve one more time. The chances are bleak from two angles. One is the impending Rahul Gandhi threat and the other is congress might not come to power. He does not have anything to show off other than the nuclear deal. Nuclear deal is something which many voters don’t get.
2. LK Advani : Ex-Home Minister, Advani really wanted the top job for years now. He has to yield it to Atal Bihari Vajpayee out of his friendship and respect. Now, he does not have competition in BJP. That is both a problem and a virtue for him. He is the default candidate for BJP. BJP has won Karnataka and has a strong anti-incumbency factor in their favor. The alliances they strike with the regional parties is a key factor. Both pre and post alliances could make or break BJP’s ambitions.
3. Mayawathi : After a thumping victory with 400 odd seats in UP, Mayawathi made her ambitions clear. She wanted the top job. This is highly likeley because of the state she currently holds. UP is the most populous state, sending the most number of MPs. 80+. If Mayawathi gets 50 out of 80, she is the Prime Minister. She did gain some political mileage in the recently concluded nuclear deal saga.
4. Lalu Prasad Yadav : My favorite candidate. Lalu for Prime Minister. The way he turn around railways is just an indication of the potential has. To me he is the ideal candidate for the job. He is hilarious like hell. Sure, I would want a prime Minister with a sense of humor. He can turn India around.
5. Jayalalitha : Depends upon the incumbency or anti-incumbency factor in Tamil Nadu. It will be either or in Tamil Nadu. It will either be DMK or AIADMK. She could play a major role in national politics. She has bee quite for a while, which is a good indication that something gotta give this time around.
6. Karunanidhi : Same as above.
7. Chiranjeevi :  Surprise.Surprise. You did not see it coming did you? Every other candidate on this list has been in the political circuit for a while. Chiranjeevi is a unknown phenomenon in untested waters of national politics. If Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam gains at least 20 of 42 seats he could spin the wheels. Congress or BJP will not get a full majority and Left might not support them and their prime ministerial candidates. So they alternative front with an acceptable Prime Minister. Considering his recent entry into politics Chiranjeevi might accept.
8. Prakash Karat : Left has been a big pain in the neck for everything UPA government wanted to do. Finally they left UPA, Amar Singh came to the rescue. Though, the chances of left gaining 60 odd seats look bleak considering the backlash in West Bengal and Mamatha Banerjee’s Panchayat wins, Karat is a candidate who cannot be ruled out. Again, CPI has to align with BJP or Congress and they have to support them from outside. CPI could also spearhead by bringing all the regional parties under one umbrella.
9. Amar Singh : He does not look ambitious. But, he has been the Dark Knight and helped the government win vote of confidence. He enjoys a lot of good will right now. If his party does well and Congress or BJP perform as usual, then Amar Singh is a potential Prime Minister. Anil Ambani would love this. So would Amitabh Bachan.
10. Chandrababu Naidu : Mr. Naidu, former CEO of Andhra Pradesh, is struggling really hard to keep Congress and Praja Rajyam at bay in Andhra Pradesh. He has to win in Andhra first and then come back to the centre. His party TDP’s chances of winning the assembly election are minimal. He might try his luck at the national polls and could come back to the center with a weirdly named Front.
11. Rahul Gandhi : He is not ready but, the congress sycophant’s thinks he is. His mother does not want him to enter mainstream politics for fears of her own. For a Gandhi scion who is 38 years old, I am not sure why he is not ready yet. But, Congress if gained majority might flip the cards and propose him for the highest honor. Dr. Manmohan singh would not mind.

The candidates mentioned are potential candidates considering the history of indian politics for the past 60 years. I said top 10 candidates but Rahul Gandhi is a bonus.  My picks would be LK Advani, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mayawathi respectively in that order.

Who would be your pick or guess for the next Prime Minister of India?

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