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Friday, Jun 22, 2007
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UNPA proposal rejected

Special Correspondent

Kalam seems to have changed his mind, I’m surprised: Pawar

NEW DELHI: Despite the Left and the Nationalist Congress Party rejecting the proposal for a second term for President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) leaders on Thursday said they would continue with their efforts to garner support for him.

“If need be, we will speak to United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi again,” Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu said after meeting NCP President Sharad Pawar here. Mr. Pawar told the UNPA leaders that it was not possible for him to help them. “It is a question of credibility.”

Speaking to mediapersons later, Mr. Pawar said he would meet Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray in Mumbai to seek his support for UPA candidate Pratibha Patil.

Mr. Pawar, who met the UNPA leaders for nearly 45 minutes at his residence, said the UPA made its position clear. Even the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) supported an independent. The Left parties did not support Mr. Kalam even for the first term.

“Left leaders Prakash Karat and A.B. Bardhan and I had declared that the President should be somebody with a political background. After getting all the reports, if somebody [UNPA] still wants to come and plead Mr. Kalam’s case [with me], I have no comment.”

He said even if Mr. Kalam had initially sought a second term, the plea would not have been considered because no President except Rajendra Prasad was given a second term. Even a man of great eminence S. Radhakrishnan did not get a second term. “Mr Kalam had declared that he wanted to go to Chennai and take up teaching. And now he seems to have changed his mind. I am surprised.”

On possible cross-voting, Mr. Pawar said it would not behove a person occupying a high position to encourage cross-voting.

Mr. Naidu, however, claimed that the UNPA’s was not a political move but a reflection of the “nation’s mood and people’s will.” “We are not dividing the country on political lines. Mr Kalam is a man of the masses. He is the common man’s President.”

The UNPA leaders said that even in 2002, P.C. Alexander and K.R. Narayanan were initially considered but ultimately Mr. Kalam emerged as a consensus candidate. “We will approach all parties to muster the support of as many parties as we can. We are working for certainty and we believe that the number of people who say ‘yes’ would be more than who say ‘no’,” he said.

The leaders went out of their way to assert that “it was with great difficulty” that Mr. Kalam agreed to their proposal to contest. They said they were doing their best and would rest their case only after the elections. Their best hope, of course, was if NDA were to support Mr. Kalam.

Sources said there was a possibility of the UNPA leaders meeting Mr. Kalam on Friday.

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