(UNI) The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is meeting here today to discuss the developments in the run-up to the presidential election and to decide strategy on the issue.The meeting, which will be held at the residence of BJP veteran L K Advani, comes after the BJP patriarch met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa in Chennai yesterday and discussed all the names floated by different parties for the top post.
Mr Advani said both the parties have decided to “coordinate” on the Presidential poll. BJP sources said the NDA meeting will discuss on all the names floated by different parties.
They added that the saffron party is likely to support former President A P J Abdul Kalam. Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and All India Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, giving a new twist to the race for Raisina Hills, had proposed three new names for President’s post — Mr Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.
The BJP in its core committee meeting on Wednesday discussed the three names proposed by SP and AITC.However, the saffron party has adopted a ‘wait-and-watch’ approach on the Presidential election till Congress finalises its name for the top post.
The BJP had earlier favoured some one like Dr Kalam for the President’s post. He was NDA’s choice for the post in 2002. The BJP-led alliance had also unsuccessully pushed for his candidature for a second term in 2007.
The BJP has also slammed UPA for failing to evolve a consensus among the allies on the Presidential election.
In a clear snub to SP and AITC, the Congress has rejected the three names proposed by them.”We cannot afford to spare Dr Singh as the Prime Minister. The other two names (Dr Kalam and Mr Chatterjee)are not acceptable,” Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said yesterday.
He said the two names that have emerged during Congress’discussion with the allies were that of Union Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari.
