Kalam willing for second term; Cong, Left unmoved

New Delhi, June 20: Adding a new dimension to the race for Presidentship, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam today told a Third Front delegation that he was willing to go in for a second term if there was a political consensus on his candidature, but the Congress and Left were not enthused by the proposal while the BJP welcomed it.

The newly-launched Front, named the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) appealed to both UPA, NDA and all other parties to support Dr Kalam's candidature for a second term.

''We today requested Dr Kalam to agree for a second term, as it is the wish of the whole nation. We are playing no politics in it. We are just working in the interest of the nation,'' TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu told mediapersons after an hour-long meeting of UNPA leaders with the President at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here this afternoon.

According to Mr Naidu, Dr Kalam said he was not averse to a second term ''provided there was a certainty.'' When asked whether by certainty, he meant consensus, the TDP supremo insisted that Dr Kalam's word be taken as it is, and the elaborations may follow later.

Later, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was part of the delegation, said that he would appeal to all contestants to withdraw in Dr Kalam's favour.

Besides, Mr Yadav and Mr Naidu, SP general secretary Amar Singh, INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala, MDMK chief Vaiko, Mr Yerranaidu of the TDP, former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai, AIADMK MPs Dr Maitren, Mr Malaisami, MP P Durga were among others in the delegation.

The UNPA leaders are now scheduled to meet NDA chief and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at 1830 hrs, while meetings with CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan have been fixed for tomorrow.

However asserting that it would stick to Pratibha Patil as its canidate, the Congress charged the Third Front and the BJP-led Opposition NDA with bringing the name of the high office of the President into ''unncessary speculation'' and said it would not be part of any attempt to drag Dr Kalam into controversy.

''It is quite unfortunate that such a successful and popular President (Dr Kalam) has been made an object of speculation and controversy,'' AICC spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told mediapersons.

Referring to the UNPA's support for a second term for Dr Kalam, she said ''had there been any serious intention on their part to propose his candidature, they should have done so at the ouset and well before positions have been taken by the UPA and the NDA and candidates announced.'' Terming their announcement a mere ''ploy to create confusion,'' she noted that some of the constituents of the UNPA had even expressed their willingness to support Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the independent candidate put up by the NDA.

Accusing the NDA of being a divided house on the issue of the Presidential poll, Ms Natarajan said the opposition alliance, ''as always, provides a picture of confusion and disunity.'' Even the members of the NDA were unclear as to who their candidate was after declaring the candidature of Vice President Shekhawat, she claimed. BJP president Rajnath Singh had now declared support for Dr Kalam if he emerged as a consensus candidate, despite the fact that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee met Dr Kalam a month ago and expressed his inability to support him for a second term due to lack of a consensus, she said.

Ms Natarajan said when the NDA sought consensus in favour of Dr Kalam in 2002, the Congress Party, then in Opposition, readily agreed to the plea and cooperated. ''But when a similar request was made by the Congress in favour of UPA candidate Pratibha Patil, it was not acceptable to them,'' she said, adding that ''from this, it is very clear that the only consensus that is okay with the BJP is a consensus on its terms.'' The Left parties also termed the UNPA's activities ''a futile exercise,'' saying that no move could change the ground situation.

Top leaders of the CPI, CPI(M) and Forward Bloc also disputed UNPA leader Chandrababu Naidu's assertion that the new grouping was not playing politics but acting in the larger naitonal interest.

Mr Bardhan told sources that the UPA had fielded Ms Patil as the Presidential candiate, and after the official announcement, ''no manoeuvre can alter the situation.'' CPI(M) Poltiburo member and Rajya Sabha MP Ms Brinda Karat said for the Left, the chapter was already closed especially when Ms Patil had unanimously been chosen to contest for the President's post.

''I am simply at a loss to understand the motive behind the so-called Third Front's leaders move to approach Dr Kalam,'' she said.

Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said the Left had already made it clear that it did not favour a second term for Dr Kalam.

However, the BJP, expressing happiness over the turn of events, said this would have more effect on the ruling UPA partners where Congress may have to revise its view on fielding Ms Patil as its nominee.

Reacting to the statements of UNPA leaders claiming that Dr Kalam was ready for a second term, NDA spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said Dr Kalam had responded to the 'popular sentiments' of the people.

Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who hinted at withdrawing from the race in the event of Dr Kalam's running for a second term had paved the way for the President to remain in the race, she said.

The President's willingness to contest will cause problems within the UPA especially the DMK and the PMK parties which will be under severe pressure to back their own man for the top constitutional post, she claimed, adding that other parties like Rashtriya Janata Dal, Lok Janshakti Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party would also be be under pressure to support him. ''That leaves only Congress and the Left parties to have reservations against Dr Kalam when overwhelming consensus veers around him,'' she added.

Asked about the NDA's stand in the event of contest and Dr Kalam remaining in the fray, Ms Swaraj said the NDA would extend its total support to him. However if there is no consensus and a situation where Dr Kalam is not in the race, Mr Shekhawat will be the NDA's candidate and the contest is a certainty, she remarked.

However, JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav rejected the UNPA's proposal and asserted the NDA would support Mr Shekhawat in the presidential election and there was no question of giving a second thought in this regard.

The last date for making nominations is June 30 and scrutiny will take place on July 2. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is July 4. While the poll is to be held on July 19, counting of votes is slated for July 22.

As many as 776 Members of Parliament, including 543 from the Lok Sabha, and 4,120 legislators from various states, including Delhi and Puducherry, constitute the electoral college whose total vote value comes to 10,98,882 votes.

The ruling UPA alliance has got over 5.13 lakh votes while the strength of the opposition NDA is over 3.54 lakh votes and the combination of eight regional parties constituting the third front accounts for 1.05 lakh votes.

UNI