THE SECRET BALLOT FOR THE ELECTION OF A NEW INDIAN PRESIDENT WHICH TAKES PLACE TOMORROW (16 AUGUST) MAY DECIDE NOT ONLY A SUCCESSOR TO THE LATE PRESIDENT HUSAIN, BUT THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE OF INDIA'S POLITICAL LIFE.

THE ELECTION HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A BITTER POLITICAL STRUGGLE BETWEEN INDIA'S PRIME MINISTER, MRS. INDIRA GANDHI, AND A GROUP OF POWERFUL PARTY LEADERS IN HER OWN RULING CONGRESS PARTY.

THE PARTY ORGANISATIONAL BOSSES - LED BY PARTY PRESIDENT SIDDAVAN-NAHALLI NIJALINGAPPA - SUPPORT MR. NEELAM SANJIVA REDDY. MR. REDDY, A FORMER ASSEMBLY SPEAKER, WAS CHOSEN BY THE BOSSES AS OFFICIAL CONGRESS PARTY CANDIDATE AGAINST THE ADVICE OF MRS. GANDHI.

HIS MAIN OPPONENT IS FORMER INDIAN VICE-PRESIDENT MR. V. VENKATA GIRI WHO IS - IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED - COVERTLY SUPPORTED BY MRS. GANDHI AND HER FOLLOWERS. MRS. GANDHI HAS REFUSED TO ISSUE A PARTY WHIP ASKING CONGRESS PARTY MEMBERS TO VOTE FOR THE OFFICIAL CANDIDATE.

MR. GIRI HAS THE BACKING OF COMMUNIST AND LEFT-WING GROUPS, AND IS NOW IDENTIFIED WITH MRS. GANDHI AND HER NEWLY-IMPLEMENTED SOCIALISTIC POLICIES. A VICTORY FOR HIM WOULD STRENGTHEN MRS. GANDHI'S POSITION AS PRIME MINISTER AND PARTY LEADER, AND ALLOW HER TO CONTINUE HER POLICIES.

IF MR. REDDY SUCCEEDS, MRS. GANDHI COULD BE FORCED OUT OF POWER BY A LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE TOP RANKS OF HER OWN PARTY.

IN EITHER CASE, IT SEEMS ALMOST INEVITABLE THAT THE CONGRESS PARTY WILL BE SPLIT UNLESS ONE OR OTHER OF THE MAIN CANDIDATES WITHDRAWS - WHICH DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY.

YESTERDAY (14 AUGUST), MRS. GANDHI AND HER MAIN OPPONENT MR. NIJALINGAPPA, MET THEIR SUPPORTERS, AND ATTENDED A MEETING OF THE CONGRESS PARTY EXECUTIVE AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE.

TODAY, MRS. GANDHI, IN A SPEECH TO MARK INDIA'S INDEPENDENCE DAY, APPEALED TO THE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW HER IN A NEW 'TRYST WITH DESTINY' AND SUPPORT HER POLICIES TO HELP INDIA'S POOR.