The race to Rashtrapati Bhavan entered a crucial phase after BJP leader Sushma Swaraj?s comment on Monday that former President APJ Abdul Kalam could be considered as a candidate.
Scarcely had this remark been made that a crucial ally of the BJP led NDA, the Janata Dal (U) distanced itself from the suggestion.
NDA convenor and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said, ?Whatever Sushma Swaraj has said is the opinion of the BJP. This is not our party?s view. The issue was not discussed in any NDA meeting. BJP has not discussed the issue with us.?
He also said the country is in a bad shape and ?everybody needs to be on the side of caution on this issue.?Asked whether JD(U) agrees with the stand of Swaraj, Yadav merely said: ?Ours is a different party and theirs is another. Neither have we discussed this issue with the BJP nor have they done it with us so far.?
The BJP later tried hard to play down the remark and also another remark reportedly made by Swaraj that vice-president Hamid Ansari did not have the ?stature? to be considered a serious candidate.
According to sources, Rashtriya Janata Dal member and former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh will move a privilege motion against Swaraj on the issue today. (Wednesday).
While chances of the motion being admitted are slim, it has polarised the race to Rashtrapati Bhavan like never before. Whether Kalam or not, the BJP is determined to field a candidate.
Meanwhile, the Congress continued to sound out allies on the presidential polls. Sources said despite all the noise, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and vice-president Hamid Ansari continued to be frontrunners in the race.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, who will be in Delhi on May 4 and 5 for meet on NCTC, will be meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the matter. While Ansari received support from the Left on Tuesday, with CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat saying they would not be averse to his candidature, support from Mamata Banerjee will be crucial.
