India: Opposition Maneuvers

The election of the President of India usually has about as much political significance as the choice of a beauty queen—and is even less of a contest. Yet last week for the first time a race was on for the largely ceremonial post. It was between Zakir Husain, 70, backed by the ruling Congress Party, and Chief Justice Subba Rao, 59, of the Indian Supreme Court, the candidate of the seven opposition parties in Parliament. The Congress Party's choice of Husain, who is currently India's Vice President, was noteworthy because he would be the first Moslem ever to hold the...