Congress to start talks with parties

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The consensus building exercise on the coming Presidential poll has begun with the Congress high command sending defence minister A.K. Antony to Chennai for discussions with DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi to know his mind about the candidates.
Mr Antony will be going to Channai soon, Congress sources said.
According to them, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are likely to talk to the Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and the BSP supremo Mayawati in this regard. Both the parties are backing the Centre from outside.
Mrs Gandhi would also talk to West Bengal chief minister and the Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on this issue.
Also, the non-involvement of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in this exercise “so far” is significant.
This is because Mr Mukherjee has been playing the role of the chief trouble shooter of the UPA government and the Congress since 2004.
The issue of presidential election was also figured in the meeting between Mrs Gandhi and NCP chief and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar here on Wednesday.
A senior Cabinet minister of the Congress said, “ Our strategy is to evolve consensus on a presidential candidate among the UPA... We have to take our allies on board before we talk to the supporting parties and non-NDA parties,” he said.
Asked whether the Congress is ready for a “give and take” in this exercise, a party strategist remained non-committal.
The picture about a “give and take “ formula could become clear only after the response from the allies and supporting parties.
Now, a debate has begun whether the next President should be “political or non-political” or be chosen on the criteria of mere acceptability. Once this is decided, then the picture would become clear soon.
Barring Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam all the Presidents were political leaders.