All political parties today chanted the mantra of 'consensus through consultation' on the issue of appointment of the next President of India. However, the Congress is keeping its cards close to its chest, and has not given any hint on the name of its candidate for the next President - be it Vice President Hamid Ansari, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, whose names are doing the rounds or a third person.
After the flip-flop on the issue of making Mukherjee the presidential candidate, a Congress MP on Monday said there was no dearth of talent in the party. "There is no problem at all. There are several talented persons in the party, and there is no dearth of talent in the organisation," Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha Satyavrat Chaturvedi told mediapersons outside the Parliament House today. He was asked whether it was possible for the Congress to spare Mukherjee, the party's chief troubleshooter, for the presidency.
Chaturvedi on Friday said, "Talking about the issue on presidential candidate is premature, as consultations are on. There will be discussions with everybody and only then a decision will be taken." On whether there is opposition within the Congress on making Mukherjee the party's presidential candidate, he said, "There is no opposition to anybody. The Congress is deliberating on it with an open mind with its allies."
| WHO STANDS WHERE |
| PRANAB MUKHERJEE: The finance minister has made no secret of his desire to become President of India. But there is no indication that the most dominant partner in the United Progressive Alliance - the Trinamool Congress - will support his candidature. With 48,000 votes, Trinamool Congress knows it has the power to upset the apple cart. |
| HAMID ANSARI: Has covered a lot of ground with a quiet but dignified campaign with chief ministers across the country. He has a lot of support, but if the consensus is on Mukherjee, his chances are bleak. |
| A K ANTONY: The defence minister is likely to emerge as the dark horse. |
| FAROOQ ABDULLAH: The National Conference chief, perhaps jocularly, was urging reporters to float his name for President. He is at present indisposed and is not in a position to launch a campaign. |
| GOPAL GANDHI: Mamata Banerjee thinks he is a decent man. But his campaign (he met several chief ministers) is taking time to take off. |
The Samajwadi Party, one of the allies Chaturvedi was referring to, said no caste or community considerations would come into play in the appointment of the President of India. Yadav said no names had been discussed yet, but conceded he had held discussions with Mamata Banerjee yesterday.
CPI-M leader Prakash Karat called on Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday, and the two former allies also discussed the issue of electing the next president. The CPI-M-led Left Front, which has held an internal meeting, believes any secular choice can be supported.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), too, refined its position. Party leader Mukhtar Naqvi said there should be a consensus on the candidate.
"There should be a consensus on the presidential candidate, as this will enhance the dignity of the Rashtrapati Bhawan," Naqvi told reporters outside the Parliament House.
Asked whether the party will support a Congress candidate, Naqvi said, "There are no names as of now. UPA has not declared any name formally. The Congress and UPA should first formally announce a name for the presidential candidate, and only then we will discuss the matter."
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, had said the BJP would not cooperate with the Congress in electing a president. The BJP and its allies have just 28 per cent of vote share.
