Division among the regional players and Opposition is making the Congress confident of evolving consensus on its presidential nominee.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will talk to the leaders of allies and supporting parties individually and collectively on this issue either in the last week of this month or in the first week of June.
According to the informed sources, the Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and the Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav are in favour of backing the Congress on this issue. They are said to have given their commitment in this regard, sources said.
“Now, it is for the Congress to decide who will be its candidate,” a senior non-NDA leader said.
According to the Congress managers, there will no dark horse in this election, hinting that names being discussed in the media could be shortlisted through consultations.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be hosting a dinner for leaders of the UPA constituents and supporting parties on the occasion of a third anniversary of his government, the UPA 2, on May 22 in New Delhi.
“And after that the real exercise for the presidential election will begin, “ the leader said.
Also, the current mood of the regional players is not to show off their strength. The SP and the BSP have been backing the Manmohan Singh government from outside unconditionally.
Barring the Biju Janata Dal, the Telugu Desam Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal, no major political party is opposing to the Congress.
The BJP has been facing internal problems in Karnataka, Rajasthan and other states and thus not keen on consolidating the anti-Congress parties, drawing the attention to how the main Opposition is conceding that it has no numbers. Moreover, its leaders have been saying their main target is to win the next Lok Sabha election. The Congress can manage support of the Left, the AIADMK if it plays the cards well.