Kalam willing to stand, only to win

IT’S MY TURN: It’s for the first time that President Kalam has played a political stroke.

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New Delhi: Third Front leaders will meet Left leaders Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan, and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday to build consensus over President Kalam's second term.

On Wednesday President ABJ Abdul Kalam, bowing to public pressure, told the UNPA leaders who came calling on him to request him to join the war for Raisina Hill that he too is in the race for Presidency provided he is certain winner.

"He is willing to contest provided he is assured of victory,” said TDB chief, Chandrababu Naidu.

So can he be a winner without being a consensus candidate? The UPA has already started filing the nomination papers for Pratibha Patil, and they have completely ruled out any support to Kalam.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena, an NDA ally, has also refused to back the missile man. What then is the President trying to achieve?

"If there is a consensus for Dr Abdul Kalam, then of course keeping in mind the high office of the Vice-President and the President, these two offices must never become issues of contention,” said Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha, Jaswant Singh.

But its Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat perhaps who would be lamenting the most. Shekhawat having declared his withdrawal from the battlefield if Kalam emerged as a consensus candidate may well have to walk his talk given the keenness displayed by the President.

"It’s sad that they are dragging Kalam's name into Presidency,” said Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natrajan.

So for the first President Kalam, popularly known to be a people's President, has played a political stroke. While its unclear, whether Kalam will be a winner, the race for Raisina hill for sure is getting tougher and tougher.