NEW DELHI: The Congress has begun the process of consulting allies in the United Progressive Alliance on the presidential candidate even as Congress president Sonia Gandhi left for a short tour of The Netherlands on Friday.

Ms. Gandhi is visiting the country on the invitation of NEXUS Institute, a leading Dutch think tank in Tilburg. She is scheduled to deliver a lecture on "Living politics, what India has taught me" at the University of Tilburg, where Nobel laureate Amartya Sen gave a lecture earlier. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende will host a dinner for Ms. Gandhi on Friday.

The Congress managers met among themselves and Nationalist Congress chief Sharad Pawar separately. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has emerged as a frontrunner as the possible Congress nominee of the UPA-Left alliance, according to informed sources.

After being authorised by the Congress Working Committee to finalise the party's presidential nominee, Ms. Gandhi constituted an informal committee to negotiate and secure a consensus on Mr. Patil's candidature. The committee consists of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and political secretary to the Congress president Ahmed Patel. It has held talks with allies such as the NCP, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Lok Janshakti Party among others. It is also expected to engage the Left leaders when they return to India next week after official engagements overseas.

The other serious contender for the Congress candidature, Mr. Mukherjee, has been told by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as by the Congress president that he cannot be spared from his critical ministerial responsibilities, according to highly placed sources.

The committee's task is uncomplicated as the DMK leadership has already told Ms. Gandhi that it will go along with the Congress choice. A similar commitment has been made, according to sources, by Railway Minister and RJD leader Lalu Prasad. The Congress managers also have reason to believe that they will have the support and endorsement of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP supremo Mayawati.

The Nationalist Congress Party, however, has some reservations. Party sources feel that Mr. Patil was rejected by the people three years ago in the last Lok Sabha elections, that he has not proved himself well in the Home Ministry and is believed to be "superstitious." However, being part of the coalition it will eventually stick to the formation.

``Left has reservations''

A section of the Left leadership also has reservations about Mr. Patil. It thinks that as Home Minister Mr. Patil has been "soft" and at times equivocal in dealing with the communal forces.

However, the Congress managers are hopeful of overcoming the reservations about Mr. Patil.

At a separate meeting, Congress leaders Mr. Mukherjee, Mr. Patel, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes and Janardan Dwivedi discussed the issue of poll management.

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