Red-faced Congress stands by Patil, calls CWC meeting

The willingness of President APJ Abdul Kalam to run for a second term has thrown the Congress off-guard. The party has called a meeting of its working committee tomorrow to discuss the issue.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi called the meeting soon after the Third Front leaders sought an appointment with her to seek support for a second term for Kalam.

Gandhi, according to a PTI report, said there was no need for such a meeting as the party had decided to field Pratibha Patil. "How can we reconsider our candidate?" asked AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi.

Party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan blamed the NDA and the Third Front for "bringing the office of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam into the realm of speculation and unnecessary controversy.'' She described attempts to nominate Kalam at this stage as "bizarre."

As the party started paper work for the nomination of Patil by getting DMK chief K Karunanidhi and BSP supremo Mayawati to sign her nomination papers, it attacked the NDA for trying to create a last-minute "confusion."

However, party leaders said they expected Kalam to issue a clarification as was done by KR Narayanan when he was faced with a similar situation. To her party's apparent opposition to Kalam, Natarajan said, "We hold Dr APJ Kalam in highest esteem but Pratibha Patil is our candidate.''

Joining said the BJP leaders had opposed a second term for Narayanan citing their opposition to renomination. "The same party is now seeking a second term for Dr Kalam,'' she said.

"It is bizarre that while the NDA has declared support for Shekhawat, BJP chief (Rajnath Singh) has offered to support Dr Kalam,'' she said.

The CPI accused the Third Front and the BJP of playing a "sinister game" by pushing for the candidature of Kalam and said it showed their political desperation.

CPI MP D Raja said the Third Front parties should openly go with the BJP instead of indulging in this political drama.