Jayalalithaa, other UNPA leaders to call on Kalam tomorrow

New Delhi, June 19 (UNI) The leaders of the newly-floated United National Progressive Alliance(UNPA), which has given a new and interesting twist to the next month's presidential polls by proposing a second term for President A P J Abdul kalam, will call on the incumbent tomorrow afternoon.

Earlier the leaders of the eight parties will hold a conclave at the residence of Mr Amar Singh, the general secretary of the Samajwadi Party which is one of the constituents of the UNPA.

Their meeting is scheduled at 1430 hrs. Later, at 1530 hrs, they will go to Rashtrapati Bhawan to persuade President Kalam to agree to contest for a second term.

The leaders who are attending tomorrow's meeting include Ms Jayalalithaa (AIADMK), Mr Vaiko (MDMK), Mr Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh (SP), N Chandrababu Naidu (TDP), Om Prakash Chautala (INLD), Babulal Marandi (JVM) and Brindaban Goswami (AGP).

After a marathon conclave of UNPA at Chennai yesterday, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, one of the architects of the new Front, had announced the name of Dr Kalam as the Front's choice.

She had said that with a majority of the people not inclined to take the UPA candidate and Rajasthan Governor Prathiba Patil seriously, and the candidature of Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, backed by the NDA, not being welcomed by all parties, there was a deep political divide on the issue, and appealed to all parties, including the Left, to sink their differences and arrive at a consensus on Mr Kalam's candidature.

UNI