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Journalism of Courage
Former prime minister and NDA chairperson Atal Bihari Vajpayee has bolted the door on a consensus on the candidature of Pratibha Patil for the presidency by telling both UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that their initiative for the purpose has come too late. 8220;You have declared your candidate without eliciting our views,8221; Vajpayee, according to a BJP spokesman, told Sonia and the PM separately when they called him on phone. 8220;Therefore, we are unable to give our support,8221; he added.
Sonia, according to the spokesman, said, 8220;For the first time in my life, I am asking you for something.8221; She pointed at the 60th year of the Independence and said it would be the first time when the country would have a woman president. Vajpayee, sources said, maintained that 8220;it is fine, but we have our own candidate8221; now. He reminded her that the NDA had consulted her before finalising the name of incumbent President A P J Abdul Kalam in 2002. 8220;I seek forgiveness with all humility,8221; the former PM told Sonia.
BJP president Rajnath Singh said in a statement later that a consensus is possible if the name of the candidate is discussed beforehand. Ruling out any support for the UPA nominee, he said the NDA would support Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Sources said the Prime Minister also called JDU president Sharad Yadav too seek his support for Patil.
