Presidential polls: Congress prepares for 3-way contest

The Congress is gearing up for a triangular contest in the presidential elections scheduled barely six months hence.

The ruling party is expecting a candidate from the Third Front, led by the Left parties and the Samajwadi Party, according to a senior Cabinet minister and a close aide of party President Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress is not inclined to accepting a Left candidate like Somnath Chatterjee for the post. "We are ready for a triangular contest. Besides the NDA candidate, we expect a contender from the Third Front, although contours of the latter are not very clear yet," the minister said.

A senior Congress leader said the party would prefer a "more bureaucratic and more political" President given the state of affairs in states and at the Centre.

In the event of a triangular contest, the NDA could fall back on Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to make a bid for the post given his proven "support base" in all parties. In last vice-presidential election, he had secured 45 votes more than the total strength of the NDA.

Shekhawat supporters in the BJP believe the NDA has no other alternative. Party sources count on the support of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to neutralise any opposition to Shekhawat from LK Advani. Rajnath Singh's views on this are not clear yet.

What seems to have strengthened Shekhawat's case in a triangular contest is his "personal rapport" with politicians of all ideological hues. RJD supreme Lalu Prasad Yadav, for instance, has been a known admirer of Shekhawat since the time of the latter's chief ministership of Bihar when Yadav's two daughters were studying at Mayo College in Rajasthan.

About three weeks back, when Shekhawat had gone to Pondicherry, Congress' chief whip in the Rajya Sabha and AICC General Secretary V Narayanswami had thrown a grand reception by putting up cutouts and banners welcoming Shekhwat. He had also organised a breakfast in Shekhawat's honour which was attended by politicians from all parties.

At a function in Maharashtra recently, Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil addressed Shekhawat as President. As the NCP leader sought to apologise, a Congress MP present on the dais got up and said there was nothing wrong as Patil was only talking in future tense. SP leader Amar Singh is a frequent visitor to the vice-president's house.

BJP sources, however, hastened to add that not much should be read into these examples, although they did indicated Shekhawat's popularity across party lines, which could come handy in a triangular contest.