The presidential election appears to be moving towards a regrouping of political parties with the NDA constituents refusing to back the BJP line on it. On the other hand, the Left is willing to cooperate with the rival Congress if the latter nominates a candidate “like” vice-president Hamid Ansari for the top post.
The Samajwadi Party, JD(U), RJD and the Left would prefer a prominent person from the minority community to be the next President, a choice the Congress, Trinamul Congress, DMK, AIADMK, TDP and BJD would find difficult to oppose.
But will Ms Mamata Banerjee and the Left, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ms Mayawati, Ms Jayalalithaa and Mr M. Karunanidhi and Mr Nitish Kumar and Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav come together and agree on one name?
The non-BJP parties are divided on the names of Mr Ansari and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. If Congress insiders are to be believed, Mr Ansari’s name figured in the discussion between defence minister A.K. Antony and DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi in Chennai recently. The RJD, JD(U) and the Left are in favour of Mr Ansari but the Trinamul, BSP and others have yet to reveal their cards. The SP on Tuesday said it would favour an eminent Muslim candidate, including the name of Mr Ansari.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters here on Tuesday, “We have not thought of any individual names. We are talking to some of the parties and we hope that there can be a common understanding on who should be the presidential candidate.”
According to sources, the Left parties, which have been advocating “maximum consensus”, indicated they may not be averse to supporting a candidate “like” Mr Ansari if the Congress comes up with his name. They are also of the view that the Congress may not field finance minister Pranab Mukherjee because of his utility in government. But they have no reservations about his name.
The Left leaders, to meet among themselves on Friday, are clear they would not support Dr Kalam whom they had opposed earlier too. CPI national secretary D. Raja said the four Left parties would meet May 4 for “preliminary consultations”. “This will be the first occasion when we meet to discuss this issue,” he said.