"There is no change in stand of the President. He will not contest the elections," a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman said.
NEW DELHI: The Presidential candidacy of Pratibha Patil, the contender promoted by the UPA, assumed unbeatable momentum on Tuesday with the emergence of reports indicating that President APJ Abdul Kalam had declined to seek a second term.
The news comes at a time when Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, running to succeed Kalam as an Independent backed by the NDA, is under escalating pressure to withdraw from the race amid weakening prospects.
The only uncertainty that Patil has to contend with now is Shiv Sena’s support. Balasaheb Thackeray, the Sena’s chief, said late on Tuesday that he would announce his party’s favoured candidate on June 25.
Kalam’s cause was championed by United National Progressive Alliance, or the Third Front, on July 18. The front comprises AIADMK, SP, TDP, Indian National Lok Dal, and the Asom Gana Parishad.
The NDA had urged Kalam to run for the second term several months ago. He had responded by saying that he would consider doing so only if there was unanimous support for his candidacy.
But on Tuesday, UPA unambiguously communicated to Kalam that it would be unable to support his run for the second term. The message was delivered by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself. Singh is reported to have told Kalam that the ruling combine had the highest regard for him, but could not back him as it had already declared Patil’s candidacy.
The Congress’s official stand was articulated by the party spokeswoman Jayanti Natarajan. “It’s far too late in the day to bring up President Kalam’s name,” Natarajan said. “There is no going back for us. Pratibha Patil is our Presidential candidate and she will be the next President of the country.”
In the circumstances, Patil’s position has been further consolidated. The numbers for Shekhawat, her only serious rival, are just not adding up.
Of the 10,98,882 electoral college votes, the NDA's tally comes to 3,54,689 votes and Third Front accounts for 1,06,281 votes. The UPA, Left, and BSP together hold 5,70,00 votes.
The NDA's numbers are likely to dwindle further if the Sena, which has some 20,000 votes, formally announces its support to Patil, a Maharashtrian. Shekhawat's campaign managers are, however, confident of pulling a off coup. They are banking on Shekhawat's clout across the political spectrum and also on the votes of disillusioned UPA members.
For its part, the ruling combine has ratcheted up its rhetoric as the Presidential race heats up. "The Third Front is trying to help the NDA by using Kalam's name," said Suresh Pachouri, Minister for Personnel and Training. "Actually, NDA and the Third Front are being unfair to Kalam. They are using him as a pawn. His name has come as an afterthought."
As a demonstration of its seriousness of purpose, the UPA political managers had sets of nomination papers signed by the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi, the UPA chairperson. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister flew to Chennai to secure Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Karunanidhi's signature.
On Wednesday, the minister is expected to visit Lucknow to have the UP chief minister sign another set of nominations. All chief ministers of Congress-ruled states, including that of Maharashtra, will be present in New Delhi to propose and second Patil's nomination. The papers will be filed on July 23.
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