New names crop up in Prez battle

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New Delhi: As the race for the Presidential election heats up, the eight-party Third front will meet on Monday to take a final decision on who to back for the post of President of India.

While the NDA will also decide their presidential candidate on Monday, the Samajwadi Party is still unsure about voting for the BJP-led NDA coalition.

Meanwhile, the UPA's Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil is wasting no time.

Patil has been busy meeting key leaders across the political spectrum to ensure a smooth win.

She met former prime minister and Jan Morcha leader V P Singh on Sunday. She also met Karan Singh, who was one of the presidential candidates before Patil was declared the UPA's consensus candidate.

Late on Monday night Patil also called upon Union HRD minister Arjun Singh and Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

But for Vice-President and Presidential nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, it was a rather routine on Sunday. The Vice-President chose to stay at home and enjoy the surprisingly pleasant weather in the capital.

Meanwhile, sources tell CNN-IBN that Samajwadi Party and Telegu Desam Party, both Third Front constituents are unlikely to back Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Instead they have come up with two new names - either of incumbent President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam or that of retired Supreme Court judge Fatima Bibi.

Though a section of the third front wants President Kalam to continue holding the top job. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah's name is also doing the rounds.