Congress cannot come clean on Alexander

Congress today said it was former Maharashtra governor P.C. Alexander8217;s misconception that the party did not back his candidature for t...

Congress today said it was former Maharashtra governor P.C. Alexander8217;s misconception that the party did not back his candidature for the President8217;s post. 8216;8216;We do not know why Alexander is hurt with the party. It is his misconception that the Congress did not back his candidature for presidentship,8217;8217; party spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters here.

As far as the formal decision to nominate presidential candidate is concerned, Sharma said it had to come from Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and the Congress had nothing to do with it.

Yet, now the party is in a double-bind over what to do with Alexander now after the NCP, party8217;s ally in Maharashtra, declared support to him as a Rajya Sabha candidate from the state.

And observers here said opposing Alexander once again could be a walk over a political minefield; not in Maharashtra but in far-off Kerala. While putting down Alexander8217;s candidature for the President when it was first offered by the NDA Government before it opted for A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the party had to incur the wrath of the sizeable Christian community in the southern state. Snubbing him again could put the Kerala Congress in doldrums, it is felt in the party circles here.

That the Congress is groping frantically for a strategy became evident yesterday when leaders refused to comment on the development. 8216;8216;We have nothing to say. As per the understanding, the Congress left the seat to the NCP and it has decided to back Alexander. We have not fielded any candidate of our own,8217;8217; held the party spokesman. While senior leaders here said they would not like to 8216;8216;interfere8217;8217; in what was essentially a state matter, they also hinted of seeking the view of Maharashtra Congress legislators in the matter.

In Maharashtra, though, the two major allies in the state government are already on a war path. While the party leaders here are still fidgeting over a response, the state Congress unit has gone a step ahead and offered support to Suresh Keswani.