UPA rejects 2nd term for Kalam

Alliance suggests the president should bow out gracefully.

The Congress and its allies in the UPA, along with the Left parties, today rejected the Third Front's campaign to build consensus for a second term for President APJ Abdul Kalam.

RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said the front should advise the president to bow out gracefully. Kalam had yesterday indicated that he would not be averse to a second term if his win was assured.

"Kalam should resign gracefully as it was too late for any reconsideration on the issue," Prasad said after signing the nomination papers of UPA nominee and Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil.

Agriculture Minister and NCP leader Sharad Pawar told a TV channel that it was "match over" for Kalam. Clearing all doubts, Patil resigned from her post of governor today, a day before scheduled.

The Third Front leaders met CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat and CPI leader AB Bardhan, both of whom stood by Patil. According to a PTI report, the front's meeting with senior NDA leaders, including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, remained inconclusive. After the meeting, senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh said their objective was to defeat the Congress.

"For that, we have to work out all other aspects. So we are meeting again tomorrow," he said. "The difficulty is only in your mind," he said when asked what was the hurdle in ensuring that Kalam contests.

"We are discussing only Kalam," TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. The front leaders will meet Kalam tomorrow. The Shiv Sena, the oldest ally of the BJP, which has ruled out support to Kalam, stayed away from the meeting.

The government suggested that Kalam should not enter the race as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier told him of the ruling alliance's decision to put up its candidate.

"When the prime minister called on the president after his Germany visit, he did convey, on behalf of the government and the supporting parties, that we have decided our candidate," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said.