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| Presidential poll noises become louder | | Kalam's chances for second term quite bleak | |
BL KAK
NEW DELHI, JUNE 21: Chances of present President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam, getting a second term in Rashtrapati Bhavan have become bleak, with the firm 'no' from the Left-UPA combine to disown the ruling coaliton's Presidential candidate, Pratibha Patil. The Congress supremo,sonia Gandhi, as well as Left parties are opposed to Kalam's continuance as President after July 21, when his five-year term comes to an end.
On Thursday the Left leaders made it plain to the Third Front leaders that the question of extending support to the demand for a second term to Kalam does not arise. The Left parties' pro-Pratibha Patil stand became too evident to be missed when Left leaders, Prakash Karat and AB Bardhan, has a meeting with the Third Front leaders.
The Third Front leaders, who also had a meeting with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, were also told by the Maratha strongman that Pratibha Patil wil continue to be the Presidential candidate of the UPA and its allies.
Hence, the failure of the Third Front leaders to build consensu over President Kalam's second term. The Third Front leaders' failure, in fact, became the topic for discussion among some political circles after Sonia Gandhi, on Wednesday, made it clear that she would not support Kalam's second term in Rashtrapati Bhavan. On Wednesday, Kalam, bowing to public pressure, told the Third Front leaders who came calling on him to join the war for Raisina Hill that he too is in the race for Presidency provided he is certain winer. Can he be a winner without being a consensus candidate?
The UPA has already started filing the nomination papers for Pratibha Patil, and they have completely ruled out any support to Kalam. On the other hand, the Shiv Sena, an NDA ally, has also refused to back Kalam. What they is the President trying to achieve? While it is unclear whether Kalam will be a winner, the race for Raisina Hill for sure is geting tougher and tougher.
True, Pratibha Patil has triggered a sharp controversy by her statement on purdah, antagonisng large sections of Muslims population. But Sonia Gandhi has come out in support of Pratibha Patil. And in the process, Sonia turned down the eight-party Third Front's request to support Kalam as a consensus candidate. Signifiantly, Sonia's message to Kalam and his supporters: Pratibha Patil is UPA's candidate in the Presidential election and there is going to be no change.
Congress spokesperson,Jayanthi Natarajan, old reporters that the Third Front's support for Kalam was nothing but a "ploy to muddy the waters" of the Pesidential elections.
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