People’s Front climbs down to consensus

With no clear-and-official name emerging from the NDA for the presidential polls, the People’s Front today decided keep its options op...

With no clear-and-official name emerging from the NDA for the presidential polls, the People’s Front today decided keep its options open. It authorised CPI(M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet and Samajwadi Party chief and Front convenor Mulayam Singh Yadav to talk to other parties to arrive at a consensus candidate.

The Left Parties, which were campaigning for a second term for President Narayanan, seem to have backed off under stiff opposition from Samajwadi Party. Even though Surjeet maintained that ‘‘no one has been excluded’’ from the list, it was pretty clear the Left’s insistence on Narayanan doesn’t hold good.

Vajpayee to consult Naidu

New Delhi: PM Vajpayee is scheduled to hold talks with Telugu Desam chief Chandrababu Naidu tomorrow on a consensus candidate for the presidential polls. Vajpayee spoke to Naidu a few days ago on phone and the two agreed to meet.
Though Naidu has so not revealed his choice, he is said to be pushing the case of Vice-President Krishan Kant. He played a key role in anointing Kant to the post. ENS

In a climbdown for the Left (which had vested responsibility of finding a consensus candidate on Surjeet alone), Mulayam Singh has not only wrested the decision-making role, he made the Left eat it words after his media outbursts about ‘‘not being consulted’’ by them.

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‘‘It was also decided that henceforth all statements on presidential polls will be made only from the Front platform. Surjeet and Mulayam has been given the ‘power of attorney’ to represent the Front,’’ a Left leader said.

However, the Front meet did not discuss names. ‘‘When the NDA has not officially announced its candidate, how can we decide on a name? Once Surjeet and Mulayam get back to us with candidates we will decide,’’ CPI’s D. Raja said.

But Surjeet, who’s going to be one of the Front decision-makers, said: ‘‘The Front has authorised Mulayam and me to find a suitable consensus candidate. Several names are there, we are likely to take a decision in a day or two.’’ Even V.P. Singh did not broach the subject of extending support to Kant to appease the Left and the Samajwadi chief.

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