Who will be India's next President?

As the race for the Rashtrapati Bhawan is hotting up, some political parties say a non-political person should be the next President of India. The Samajwadi Party, for one, has thrown its weight behind former president, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Here are the names some of the probables in the presidential race.

PRANAB MUKHERJEE: A Congress veteran, Union Finance Minister and the UPA's ace trouble-shooter.

STRENGTH:

He is an astute politician and a brilliant administrator. Being a key government and party negotiator, he has friends across the political spectrum. Even the Opposition may not oppose him.

WEAKNESS:

His strength is his only weakness. If he is elevated to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Congress will be deprived of the one and only trouble-shooter.

KARAN SINGH: A senior Congress leader, Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha and hailing from the royal family of Jammu and Kashmir - he was a perennial candidate for the President's post.

STRENGTH:

A scholar, author, diplomat, served as chairman of the foreign affairs department in the All India Congress Committee (AICC), President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and India's Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

WEAKNESS:

Congress rank-and-file not enthused.
GOPAL K. GANDHI: The youngest grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and a former Governor of West Bengal.

STRENGTH:

He held important administrative posts throughout his career. He also served as an envoy to several countries like South Africa and Sri Lanka.

WEAKNESS:

An outsider for the Congress, he is being backed by the Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee. However, Left parties are yet to reveal their cards on him.
AK ANTONY: Member of the Parliament in the Rajya Sabha and Union Defence Minister

STRENGTH:

A senior Congress politician who became the youngest Chief Minister of Kerala at the age of 36. He leads a simple and a clean public life, earning the sobriquet, “Saint Antony”, back home in Kerala.

WEAKNESS:

Being a Christian, he is not a vote-bank leader at the national level. The BJP will not back him.

HAMID ANSARI: A career diplomat who was appointed the Vice-President of the country in August 2007.

STRENGTH:

He is suave, articulate, diplomatic and non-controversial. An acceptable muslim face, he is the Vice-President already. The Left and regional parties will back him.

WEAKNESS:

He's not an original Congressman and one is not sure if the BJP will back him.