New Delhi:
Former president
APJ Abdul Kalam, who is being backed by the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party for a second stint at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, will meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for lunch today.
Mr Kalam, who reached Patna on Thursday night on a scheduled visit, was welcomed at the airport by Mr Kumar whose party, Janata Dal(United), is a crucial constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and runs a coalition government in the state with the latter. The former president is scheduled to attend two separate functions in the city today.
Interestingly, the JD(U) had yesterday approached Mr Kalam's potential candidacy with caution, saying that it wasn't sure if a second term for the eminent scientist would set a healthy precedent. The party, though, made it clear that it would want the NDA to take a joint decision. JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav is the NDA convenor. It also added that it was waiting for the Congress-led UPA to make its choice public before it considered its options.
Hence, the gesture extended by the Chief Minister assumes significance in that it could be read by many as the JD(U) warming up to the idea of Mr Kalam being a potential candidate. This becomes all the more important as the NDA will meet today to discuss the Presidential elections and decide on its strategy. The BJP has, so far, been watching the hectic political activity surrounding the presidential polls from the sidelines. Just like its ally JD(U), the BJP too has said that it would reveal its choice only once the UPA has named its nominee. But sources in the BJP have said that top leaders believe that Dr Kalam would be a most suitable candidate. Mr Kalam's name was first suggested some months ago by the BJP's Sushma Swaraj.
Even as there has been a growing noise over him becoming one of the serious contenders for Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Trinamool Congress has made its pitch for Mr Kalam stronger with party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying yesterday that Mr Kalam is their first choice for the next President of India. "And he will win the election," she had said. She alongwith Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had proposed three presidential probable including Mr Kalam. The other two are former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The duo, thus, firmly rejected the candidature of Union Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee who is being considered a front-runner for the post. But Mr Yadav, on Thursday evening, said that for them, Mr Kalam is a serious contender, but not its final candidate. This slight gap between the two leaders is something that the Congress would be looking at as an opportunity to drive a wedge between the two, who between them hold 11% of the vote for the President of India.
(Read: Mamata Banerjee firm on Kalam, Mulayam Singh Yadav distances himself a little)Ms Banerjee participates in the UPA government and Mr Yadav has so far been a staunch supporter from outside. Together they also command a substantial 11 per cent of the electoral college that will elect the next President. That 11% with the NDA's 28% will need only a little help from non-UPA, non-NDA parties to get Dr Kalam into Rashtrapati Bhawan if the NDA decides to support him.
THIS IS HOW NUMBERS ADD UP:If the Trinamool Congress (4.37% votes), Samajwadi Party (6%) and Mayawati's BSP support the UPA, the ruling combine will get 5,71,644 votes in its kitty. That will ensure that the UPA will have 52 per cent, a majority, of the overall votes. But if Ms Banerjee decides to go against the UPA candidate, UPA's vote share will drop to 5,25,719 votes at 48 per cent, shy of a majority.
If the SP and the TMC join hands with the NDA to back Dr Kalam, they have a combined 38.63% votes in the electoral college. The UPA without the TMC is 37.63%.
Non-NDA, non-UPA parties, including the SP make up 24% of the college. Smaller parties have 6% share.
The presidential election places at par the votes of all MPs with those of all elected members of state legislatures - so regional parties count for a lot. The electoral college for the presidential poll is 4896, constituting 776 Members of Parliament and 4120 Members of Legislative Assemblies, including those of Delhi and Puducherry. The total value of votes is 10,98,882 with that of MLAs being 5,49,474 and that of MPs being 5,49,408. Nominated members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state Assemblies are not entitled to vote.