Journalism of Courage
PROSPECTS of A P J Abdul Kalam becoming the president receded as fast today as his candidacy had gained momentum. As the Congress finally rallied around Pranab Mukherjee and managed to secure the Samajwadi Partys support for him,the numerical build-up that could have made Kalams return as president looked no longer sustainable.
Shortly after UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi announced that Mukherjee was their nominee for the top post,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj,senior BJP leader L K Advani and floor leaders of other parties in both the Houses to solicit support for him.
While NDA leaders,who deliberated for over 90 minutes at Advanis residence,chose to defer a decision,sources indicated that the alliance was open to the option of backing Mukherjee. And this was for two reasons: one,the veteran leader shares an excellent equation with opposition leaders and they are convinced of his qualification for the post; and two,the numbers are stacked in favour of the UPA after Mulayams about-turn.
The JD(U) reportedly has also told the NDA to support Mukherjee and instead bargain for the vice-presidents post. Backing Mukherjee,it believes,will send across a healthy message.
A top JD-U leader close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told The Indian Express: Now that we have a man of big stature in the fray and Kalam is not keen to contest,the NDA is not left with much option.
While the NDA was not disinclined towards Kalam,it admitted that the situation had changed now. Sources in the alliance said: He (Kalam) is disinclined to contest unless he is sure of a comfortable victory… (That is) obviously not happening.
Swaraj is understood to have told the PM that the issue would be addressed by the NDA collectively,and that she would get back to him.
According to sources,the NDA could either enter into an understanding with the UPA and seek the post of vice-president for itself in return for support for Mukherjee,or put up a token but principled fight against the ruling coalition by supporting former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma. His name had been floated by Tamil Nadu and Orissa Chief Ministers Jayalalithaa and Naveen Patnaik. However,Sangma himself has been under pressure from own NCP leadership to pull out of the race.
While the BJP already has an aspirant for the vice-presidents post in reportedly Jaswant Singh,who is said to have been lobbying for support for over a month now,looking from the Congress perspective,there is no need to part with the vice-presidency. The occupant of the post is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Incidentally,sources in the BJP said whatever be the case,party leaders would not take a decision without informally taking Mamata into confidence. As far as the NDA is concerned,Mamatas near-exit from the UPA is a definite long-term gain and the alliance would not leave her isolated.
NDA convenor Sharad Yadav said at the alliance meeting that while he was sure that Mamata would not relent from her stand,he could state on the basis of his long experience of working with Mulayam that the SP leader could shift his position. Considering what followed,his words were almost prophetic.
Apprising his colleagues of the discussions he had had with Jayalalithaa yesterday,Advani said the AIADMK chief had told him that she would persuade Sangma to withdraw from the contest if non-UPA parties were in a position to defeat the government by fielding someone else.
Sources also said that while Sharad Yadav did not seem enthused over backing Kalam,NDA leaders were hopeful that he could be persuaded in case the course of future developments favoured him.
Kalam,who was in Patna for a function today,reacted cautiously early in the day,telling reporters he would take right decision at the right time.
with ENS in Patna
