Shekhawat calls on Pratibha; UPA confident of victory

New Delhi, Jun 17: In a pre-emptive step Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat along with Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje called on the state Governor and UPA presidential nominee Pratibha Patil at Jodhpur House here this evening.

Mr Shekhawat arrived at Jodhpur House -- the official guest house for the Governor -- around 1930 hrs and remained there till 2000 hrs.

However, Mr Shekhawat refused to divulge details of the meeting.

Ms Patil, who flew in from the Pink City to the national capital this morning, had expressed her desire to pay her respect to the Vice President who hails from the same Sikar district -- the native place of her husband Devisingh Shekhawat.

On her arrival she told mediapersons that she would visit the Vice President but her busy schedule prevented her.

When asked, Mr Shekhawat refused to confirm whether he would be contesting the election or not.

Earlier in the day, Ms Patil had exuded confidence about her victory in the July 19 election and said she had sought an appointment with Mr Shekhawat, her most likely opponent, to seek his blessings.

Expressing profuse gratitude for the overwhelming support from the broad spectrum of the political class, civil society and the women groups to her candidature, she said she was overwhelmed by the love showered by the people of the country on her.

She said it was the greatest moment of her life when her candidature was announced for the highest post of the land.

Ms Patil made these observations after she drove to Ajoy Bhawan, the CPI headquarters, to call on CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan.

Ms Patil had also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chief Sonia Gandhi earlier.

During the 10- minute meeting, Mr Bardhan told her that all the constituents of the UPA, the Left, the BSP and other parties had jointly sponsored her candidature for the President's post. Ms Patil expressed heartfelt gratitude for the support extended to her.

Ms Patil said she would talk to the press in detail after filing her nomination papers.

Mr Bardhan said two set of papers of nominations would be filed for which the date had yet to be finalised.

''I know that you( mediapersons) are curious to talk to me, but I will talk to you after filing my nomination papers for the post of the President,'' she said.

On her keenness to meet Mr Shekhawat, likely to be an Independent candidate supported by the BJP and the NDA allies, Ms Patil said she had sought a meeting with him, but it had yet to materalise.

To another specific query how confident she was on her victory, Ms Patil countered, ''You better ask this question to Mr Bardhan.'' The CPI veteran said, ''We have no doubt whatsoever about her victory.'' Then she also proclaimed," Main apni jeet ke prati puran tor par ashvast hoon,''( I am fully confident about my victory.) Ms Patil said she would soon resign as the Governor of Rajasthan while thanking the media also for its curiosity to know more about her and her campaign schedule.

She said she would first visit the Samadhi of the Father of the nation and only then start her campaign.

On the chances of the cross voting as being claimed by the managers of Mr Shekhawat's campaign, Mr Bardhan quipped, ''He (Shekhawat) does not have the code of ethics required for the Presidential polls.'' The CPI veteran also dismissed the suggestion that if the parties did not issue the whips, ''the cross voting could not be avoided.''

UNI