BJP: Can’t allow UPA a walkover

Senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said that the BJP, being the main Opposition party, could not “allow a walkover” to the UPA since it did not consult the party before announcing its candidate.
NDA convenor and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav said his party was against any contest after former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had refused to enter the fray. Trying to downplay the rift within the NDA, Mr Yadav argued: “We are not supporting a Congress candidate. Under the present circumstances, we are supporting a UPA candidate for whom there is a consensus.”
He indicated that after the 2014 general elections, there could possibly be a political crisis. “In that kind a scenario, we need a competent person to handle the situation,” he said. While Mr Yadav said that this was not the “first time” that the allied parties differed on presidential elections, CPI leader A.B. Bardhan said the differences “will not have any impact on Left unity”.

Sangma wants debate with Pranab ahead of presidential polls

Pinning hopes on "conscience vote", Sangma virtually dared UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee for a debate ahead of presidential polls, saying democracy needs debate.

NEW DELHI: Pinning hopes on "conscience vote" and his tribal identity, P A Sangma today virtually dared UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee for a debate ahead of presidential polls, saying democracy needs debate.

Maintaining that in a democracy people have the right to choose and there should be a debate at a time when the economy is sinking and scams are unimaginable, Sangma said, "Who is responsible for all this corruption...It has to be a candidate to candidate debate".

Asked whether he was throwing a challenge to Mukherjee, Sangma, who has the backing of BJP, BJD and AIADMK, said it was a practice. "Democracy means debate. I am asking for debate," he told TV channels.

Claiming that he will win the presidential race, Sangma also said he has sought appointments with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. He said that he was going to reach out to every one.

"The election will be by a secret ballot. Secret ballot means conscience vote. I depend on conscience vote and I believe in conscience vote," he said.

He said that the fact that there is a "split" in almost all political parties shows that this Presidential election is a serious one and "not as smooth as the Congress is claiming".

Sangma said that the UPA candidate is also not getting the undivided support of the ruling alliance as Mamata, whose party in a constituent of UPA, is "not supporting Mukherjee as yet".

He said that he is "constantly in touch" with the Trinamool Congress chief and is "very hopeful of her support". He said, "I am going to meet her in next few days."

Playing the tribal card, Sangma said that he wanted to correct the historic mistakes the country has committed as "tribals have not been given their due...I appeal to the consience of the nation. We have given our land, our forest, our natural resources...please recognize us."

President poll live: CPI(M) to back Pranab Mukherjee, CPI to abstain; BJP backs PA Sangma

New Delhi: 5:09 pm: Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) will vote for UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee while Communist Party of India (CPI) will abstain. Out of four Left parties two have decided to support Pranab and two others will abstain.
"This is the only issue where we have differences. On every other issue the Left Front is united. The RSP will also abstain from voting," said veteran CPI leader AB Bardhan said.

3:00 pm The Left Front was divided over the Presidential candidate and was struggling to reach consensus. While the West Bengal unit of the Left was in favour of Pranab Mukherjee as the Presidential candidate, the Kerala unit was against him. A final announcement is expected in the evening after a meeting of all the Left parties.

1:00 pm: NDA ally JD(U) announced its support for UPA's Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee. JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav said, "Our support to Pranab is due to the present scenario, this is not a support to the UPA."
He said that since APJ Abdul Kalam withdrew from the race, the situation had changed and the NDA failed to arrive at a consensus.

12:40: Former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma has thanked the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal for their support to him in the Presidential poll. He also said he was hopeful of winning the election.
When asked Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee would support him, Sangma said he had spoken to Mamata and was hopeful of getting her support. The Trinamool Congress sources, however, said they were still undecided on whether or not to support Sangma.
Sangma also said that since the voting for the Presidential poll takes place through secret ballot, he was hopeful that the conscience of the voters would be in his favour.

12:10 pm: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma for the President's post. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said that the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP supported Sangma's candidature.
However, the NDA failed to arrive at a consensus with two of its key partners, the Shiv Sena and JD(U) not in favour of a contest. However, Sushma Swaraj said the BJP was in favour of a contest.
"Considering what Pranab has done to the country, there cannot be walkover for him," Sushma Swaraj said.
Sushma Swaraj also said that the UPA failed to reach out to the NDA over the Presidential poll.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley also said that the BJP wanted to play the role of a principal opposition and was not in favour of the UPA's Presidential candidate. "Contest is an idea integral to the democracy, not alien to the democracy. We want to play the role of the principal opposition party," Jaitley said.
Dismissing reports of differences within the NDA, Sushma Swaraj said, "NDA is a mature alliance, there is no question of it breaking down. We were trying to bring our alliance partners on board, we could not do that."
The BJP's announcement came even as two of its leaders Maneka Gandhi and BS Yeddyurappa had expressed their desire to support Pranab. "The support of Maneka, Yeddyurappa for Pranab does not matter now since we have made the official announcement," Sushma Swaraj said.
Meanwhile, the JDS also said it would support Pranab's candidature for the President's post. The Left Front's meeting on the Presidential poll was underway. Sources say that the Left parties were still divided and are likely to announce their decision by Thursday evening.
The JD(U) is expected to announce its stand on the Presidential candidate at 1 pm on Thursday.



Race for Rashtrapati Bhawan: Where the numbers stand

Support for Pranab
UPA (-TMC) + RJD + SP + BSP + NDA ALLIES (SS + JDU) = 53.2 per cent

Support for Sangma
BJP + SAD + BJD + AIADMK = 27.6 per cent

Undecided parties
Left + TMC = 9 per cent

Others = 10.2 per cent

NDA would not have lost power if Modi had been sacked after Guj riots: Nitish

Targeting Narendra Modi for the second time in a week, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the NDA government would not have lost power in the 2004 general elections had the Gujarat government been dismissed in the wake of the 2002 riots.

Kumar's remarks came close on the heels of his stating that NDA needs a "secular" candidate as PM for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which were construed as an attack on Modi.

"The NDA government would not have lost power in 2004 general elections if Vajpayee had been allowed to sack the Modi government for not adhering to 'raj dharma'," he told a group of news channel reporters at the JD(U) office here.

Vajpayee, who had castigated Modi for his failure to abide by the 'raj dharma', was prevailed upon by the senior BJP leaders against sacking the Modi government and that was the main reason of NDA's defeat at the hustings in 2004, Kumar said.

Under attack from the RSS and the BJP for his latest salvo, Kumar dismissed the charge that he was a selfish leader.

Kumar's detractors accused him of changing his tune after enjoying the fruits of power aligning with the BJP.

"I am not a selfish leader," he said while trying to deflect RSS-BJP criticism against him over the Modi issue.

PM calls TDP chief seeking support for Pranab's candidature

With the UPA announcing Pranab Mukherjee as its Presidential nominee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday reached out to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu requesting him to support the veteran Congress leader.

While Singh sought support for Pranab, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik, who also got on phone with Chandrababu, urged him to endorse the candidature of former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma for the July 19 Presidential election, party sources said.

The TDP, however, remained indecisive on whom to support in the election.

Sangma had met Chandrababu Naidu here early this week and requested the latter to support his candidature for the President's post.

The TDP said it would take a decision on whom to support in the presidential election after consulting other parties.

The politburo of the TDP, which met under the chairmanship of Chandrababu Naidu here today, discussed the presidential election issue but did not come to any conclusion on its support.

"We have decided to take a final decision after discussing the issue with other political parties," Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party leader Nama Nageswara Rao told reporters after the politburo meeting.

The politburo also discussed the latest political developments in the country, he added.

Jethmalani says he will contest Prez poll if BJP backs Pranab

BJP MP and eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Saturday said he would enter the the Presidential election fray if his party went for a consensus on UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee. Jethmalani, who is away in Detroit on a holiday, told reporters over phone that NDA should not go for a consensus on Mukherjee.

"Mukherjee is a friend. I have great appreciation for some of his qualities but have a serious grievance against him that he has concealed the names that Germans and French have given him for those people who are hoarding the nation's wealth outside. Yet he has not done anything," Jethmalani said.

He insisted that for him Rashtrapati Bhawan is not an atttraction and he would like to continue with his legal practice.

"My job is to educate people. Let us see what is the decision of the party," Jethmalani said.

BJP sources said Jethmalani's name was not discussed at today's meeting. The party has indicated it is keen on a contest and hence Jethmalani's threat may not have much signifance.

NDA is holding a meeting tomorrow where a final view on the issue is expected to be taken.