By IANS
New Delhi : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Tuesday finally broke her silence and announced her crucial backing to the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the race for presidential elections, but kept the suspense going over the candidate's name which she indicated she knew.
Stating that there was a "general consensus" on who would be India's next president following UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's dinner with her Monday, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief also declared that there was no question of supporting a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate because it was a "communal" front.
Mayawati appeared to thoroughly enjoy the 30-minute media interaction at Maurya Sheraton Hotel, taking her own sweet time to explain why she took so long to decide and then ended the presser with on a note of anti-climax – declaring her support to UPA but leaving the announcement of the candidate's name to Gandhi.
"We had a lengthy discussion in which some names figured and a general consensus has been formed," she said, referring to her meeting with Gandhi who drove to the BSP leader's residence. And with a smile, she added: "You may want to know who is that person on whom there is a general consensus.
"In this connection, you will soon get the announcement from Sonia Gandhi. I don't want to… I have cleared my stand."
She declined to take any questions from journalists, merely saying she had imposed "no condition" for extending BSP's crucial support to the Congress-led UPA and had also made no claim on the president's post.
Mayawati's announcement – BSP's 58,300 votes can tilt the balance in the presidential contest – appeared to take closer to the presidency Home Minister Shivraj Patil, widely believed to be Gandhi's choice for the next president to succeed A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. But the Left has reservations about Patil.
It also spikes any chances of Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat making it to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, even with the backing of NDA and the newly formed eight-party 'Third Front'.
The Congress-led multi-party UPA, the Left and BSP together claim a total of 573,159 votes to NDA's 354,689. The so-called Third Front commands 106,281 votes.
Mayawati attributed the inordinate delay in announcing a decision on the presidential election to the governance of Uttar Pradesh, where the BSP claimed power last month, as well as discussions with in the party ranks.
Underlining that the BSP had always fought against "communal forces", she said: "There is no question of supporting any NDA candidate in the presidential elections."
When her remarks led to some murmur among the media persons, Mayawati said: "I know some of you are whispering because our party had taken direct and indirect support of BJP to form government in Uttar Pradesh. But let me explain that it was the peculiar (political) situation in Uttar Pradesh that forced us to do so. But the BSP always managed to keep a check on BJP."
She made it clear that she knew that BSP's votes could be decisive. "This is why I did not reveal my cards in a hurry."
She took repeated potshots at the BJP-led NDA.
"For a long time they have encouraged communal forces. Our party has always struggled against communal forces and it will keep struggling against communal forces."