Shekhawat is NDA's choice for Prez

BRIGHT CHANCES: Shekhawat is fast emerging as the NDA's choice for President.

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New Delhi: Former prime minister and BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee said, “We didn’t want a second term for Kalam.”

Within hours of Vajpayee’s statement that there was no political consensus on the incumbent president APJ Abdul Kalam, veteran BJP leader and sitting vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is fast emerging as the NDA's candidate for the top job.

Even parties like the JD(U) which had lobbied hard for a second term for Kalam seem to have fallen in line.

Says president of JD (U), Sharad Yadav, “We have authorised Vajpayee and he is negotiating the matter.”

Another NDA constituent, the Trinamool Congress, which had floated the name of Vajpayee a few days back, now agrees that Shekhawat is clearly the next best choice for the NDA.

“He has done a good job as a Vice President and he has been our chairman. He is beyond politics and he is one personality who is larger then life,” says MP, Trinamool, Dinesh Trivedi.

However, that is the NDA'S view, parties like the NCP that is an important ally of the UPA has ruled out Shekhawat being a consensus candidate.

Says chief spokesman, NCP, D P Tripathi, “There is no question of supporting an NDA candidate whoever it may be.”

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