Majority of MPs, MLAs favour second term for Kalam

New Delhi, Apr 22: While Dr A P J Abdul Kalam may be preparing himself for a stint in portals of academe after he lays down the presidency in barely months from now, nearly 60 per cent of India's influential MPs and MLAs want him in Rashtrapati Bhawan for a second term, reveals a survey. The survey, conducted by NDTV GfK-Mode, points out that nearly 60 per cent of the Electoral College, which elects the President of India, wants Dr Kalam for a second term at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

''While Dr Kalam wins hands down for a second term as the President of India, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat emerge as the next two frontrunners in the power circles,'' it says.

Further, an overwhelming 84 per cent popular votes, based on 300,000 online votes and SMSes, also want a second inning for the ''missile man'' in the Raisina Hills while people chose Infosys Mentor and Chairman N R Narayanmurthy (49.6 per cent) and Noble Laureate Amartya Sen (48.3 per cent) as the next best.

The Electoral College survey has interviewed more than 500 MPs and MLAs. The poll revealed that 57.9 per cent pitched for a second term for President Kalam.

More than five per cent of the respondents felt it should be a Party Decision (5.4 per cent), 2.5 per cent of the respondents offered no opinion. Nearly 35 per cent of the respondents did not want Dr. Kalam to continue as President.

Mr Chatterjee (28.7 per cent) and Mr Shekhawat (26.3 per cent) emerged as frontrunners for President, if not Dr Kalam.

The other names included in the survey for the President's post include Defence Minister A K Antony (6.2 per cent), ICCR President and Rajya Sabha member Karan Singh (8.1 per cent), Dr. Amartya Sen (4.6 per cent) and software industry icon N R Narayanmurthy (5.2 per cent).

From a sample size of 520, 8.8 per cent of the respondents felt the decision should left to the ruling party while 12.1 per cent did not choose any of the names suggested in the Electoral College Poll.

Media reports have indicated that Dr. Kalam is not averse to the idea of second term in Presidency provided his candidacy is backed by all the political parties.

Last month, Dr Kalam had visited the residence of noted nonagenarian journalist-litterateur Khushwant Singh and sought his opinion on a life during post-retirement.

UNI