Pranab rules himself out of race for President's post

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today dismissed reports that he was being considered as a Presidential candidate.

"All these are speculative reports, and as a Congressman, I will do as the Congress leadership asks me," he said on the sidelines of the induction of DMK MP Radhika Selvi into the Union Cabinet.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, too, did not appear to be very enthusiastic about the reports on the possible UPA candidate. "It is too premature to come up with a particular name," he said when asked about Mukherjee's candidature.

Top sources in the Congress, however, confirm that Mukherjee has been ruled out because of his seniority and indispensability to the UPA regime.

Sources said Mukherjee had discussions with Congress President Sonia Gandhi over his candidature. When Gandhi asked if he wanted to be president, Mukherjee is said to have replied that he had no particular opinion and left the choice to Gandhi.

The Congress chief then reportedly said he was indispensable for the prime minister. According to sources, this conversation seems to have put paid to Mukherjee's chances, unless UP chief minister Mayawati insists on his name, which is unlikely.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal and other backward class parties seem to have zeroed in on Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who had hosted a dinner for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe MPs last week.

The BJP, too, has decided to go with its own candidate, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who seems to have pledges of support from several non-Congress and non-BJP parties. The NDA has asked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to suggest a candidate. In all probability, it will be Shekhawat.

In this scenario, the race for Rashtrapati Bhawan will reach a critical stage when UP Chief Minister Mayawati names her choice, hopefully someone the Left agrees on.