NDA chief and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of Opposition LK Advani were amongst those who accompanied Shekhawat when he filed his papers.
NEW DELHI: Cracks in the NDA were visible as Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat on Monday filed his nomination as an independent candidate in the presidential election with Shiv Sena and Trinamool Congress remaining absent.
A solace for the 84-year old Shekhawat was the presence of suspended Congress leader K Natwar Singh as also Bhim Singh of Panthers Party, which has recently snapped ties with Congress-led coalition in Jammu and Kashmir.
Unfazed by the numbers heavily loaded against him, Shekhawat, a veteran of many a poll battle, filed two sets of nomination papers for the July 19 poll which probably will be a straight fight with UPA-Left nominee Pratibha Patil.
The Vice President and his backers are relying on support from his "friends" across the political spectrum.
NDA leader Sushma Swaraj likened the tussle to the historic battle in 1969 in which independent V V Giri trounced the official Congress nominee Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy -- a comparison dismissed by Congress.
The Shiv Sena, which has been swayed by the Marathi card since the announcement of Pratibha Patil's nomination by the ruling UPA-Left alliance, has said it would announce its stand later.
Trinamool Congress has been evasive so far on the issue of support to Shekhawat with its chief Mamata Banerjee still batting for a second term to incumbent A P J Abdul Kalam.
NDA leader Sushma Swaraj, however, told reporters that Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi could not make it as his plane was late. She hoped Shiv Sena would support Shekhawat.
Swaraj sought to make the best of Natwar Singh's presence saying that it was not a token appearance. "It will send a strong message," she said, indicating that the former External Affairs Minister's support would attract votes from Congress.
To a question, she said NDA hoped to emerge victorious. "That is why we are fighting the election," she said.
She replied in the negative when asked if there was any communication from the Third Front, which has decided to maintain equidistance from UPA and NDA.
Singh, who was one of the proposers, said, "Shekhawat was a very good Vice President and he can be an outstanding President".
Asked about the prospects of Shekhawat, NDA Chairperson Atal Bihari Vajpayee said "we have just jumped into the fray". Shekhawat's nomination came a day after the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) made it known that it would not field any candidate for the presidential poll.
Besides Vajpayee, NDA convenor George Fernandes, senior BJP leaders L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, Janata Dal(U) chief Sharad Yadav, Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal and Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik were present at the time of filing of the nomination.
All seven Chief Ministers from NDA ruled states were present, Swaraj said adding that 128 MPs and 138 MLAs signed Shekhawat's nomination paper.
As Shekhawat reached the office of Returning Officer, slogans "Jai Shri Ram", "Ganapati Bappa Morya" and "Hindustan ka ek hi Singh, Bhairon Singh, Bhairon Singh" rent the air. Sweets were also distributed by enthusiastic NDA supporters.
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