Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 21, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Thursday, Jun 21, 2007 ePaper |
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Front Page
Neena Vyas
Oneupmanship? BJP president Rajnath Singh with Telugu Desam Party president Chandrababu Naidu outside the residence of the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, after the United National Progressive Alliance leaders called on him in New Delhi, on Wednesday.
NEW DELHI: The “Kalam-for-second-term” gambit by the United National Progressive Alliance has become a bit too hot for the National Democratic Alliance to handle. On Wednesday it was not able to say categorically who it was backing in the presidential race. Duty-bound
After the statement issued two days ago by its candidate, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, that he would be “happy” to make way for President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the NDA feels duty-bound to respond to the UNPA’s plea to support Mr. Kalam, but if Mr. Shekhawat announced withdrawal of his candidature and Mr. Kalam did not contest, the NDA would find itself in an awkward situation. A senior party leader explained the BJP and the NDA’s problem. The matter would be discussed at an NDA meeting on Thursday. The BJP is worried that the cracks within its group would widen to expose the disunity within the NDA once Mr. Kalam’s candidature is up for discussion. The Trinamool Congress and a section of the JD(U) could press for support to Mr. Kalam even as the Shiv Sena has made it clear it will not support his candidature. NDA spokesperson Sushma Swaraj admitted that if Mr. Kalam was supported by the NDA there would be internal divisions as the Shiv Sena had clearly stated it would not support Mr. Kalam. For that matter the Sena has not yet extended support to Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as an NDA-backed independent. Confusion in the NDA camp was evident: on Tuesday Ms. Swaraj said the NDA did not favour a sitting President contesting, while on Wednesday she said the NDA would support Mr. Kalam if he contested. He had indicated he would contest only if there was a kind of non-contest, that is, a clear winning situation. The NDA is also not able to explain why Mr. Vajpayee talked about a convention against a second term for the President when five years ago there was some talk of building consensus on the name of the then President K.R. Narayanan.
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