PM takes a 'soft-spoken' dig at Shekhawat

PM SPEAKS: Prime Minister took a swipe at Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

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Keywords: Comment, Pm, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Presidential Polls

New Delhi: The Presidential campaign is going full throttle with both Congress and BJP sharpening their knives. The Prime Minister took a swipe at Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat while the BJP leader L K Advani called for a conscience vote.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh joining in the debate on who will be the new Rashtrapati.

Upset with the attack launched by the leader of Opposition on the UPA's choice for Presidentship the soft-spoken man spoke softly but sharply.

Manmohan Singh said, “I am certain that there is no charge against Pratibha Patil that can be sustained."

The Prime Minister also had a word of caution for Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat for trying to distance himself from his well-established Sangh Parivaar roots.

"Bhairon Singh Shekhawat has spent his whole life with the BJP and even he doesn’t want to be associated with them, " Manmohan Singh added.

Away from the Prime Minister's blitzkrieg, the BJP is going ahead at full throttle with its mission for Presidency.

L K Advani has written a six-page letter to the entire Electoral College urging them to vote on the basis of their conscience.

Advani has also cited the conscience vote appeal, which was made by Indira Gandhi way back in the late 1960's when V V Giri was taking on the official Congress nominee Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.

Similar letters are also going to be written by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

This election has been unprecedented when it comes to mud slinging and muck raking. Controversies surrounding Pratibha Patil do not seem to have died down and Advani's letter is an effort to best exploit the situation.

All said and done - the outcome of this presidential election is almost a foregone conclusion.

(With inputs from Suhasini Haider)