By IANS
New Delhi : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Thursday declared his support to a Congress candidate for presidential elections, leaving the Left isolated over its reservations against Home Minister Shivraj Patil, widely believed to be the ruling party's preferred choice.
Speaking after a 40-minute meeting with Left leaders at the Tamil Nadu guest house here, Karunanidhi told reporters that he hoped the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) would put up a consensus candidate with Left backing.
Karunanidhi was asked if the DMK would support any Congress candidate. He replied without hesitation: "Yes!"
And later, after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he said: "We are inching towards a solution. I am confident there will be a consensus. We are proceeding in the right direction. There will be a decision by tonight or Friday afternoon."
Sources in DMK indicated that Karunanidhi's discussions with general secretaries Prakash Karat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and A.B. Bardhan of Communist Party of India (CPI) centred around the choice of Patil with Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde as a possible second pick.
Karat remained non-committal: "We had a meeting with the DMK chief. We exchanged our views and we are meeting again in the evening."
Bardhan was more forthcoming: "The very fact we are meeting again in the evening shows we have not decided on any name."
It had been originally felt that the Thursday morning meeting between Karunanidhi and Left leaders would break the deadlock over the UPA presidential nominee who is to succeed A.P.J. Abdul Kalam next month.
Patil seems to be the frontrunner but Congress sources admit the Left is unhappy with him, apparently over his secular credentials.
In contrast, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance is preparing itself to put up a strong fight even though the combined votes of Left and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) give the UPA a clear edge.
Banking on possible cross voting, the NDA is expected to throw its weight behind Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who the Left wanted to be the president, made it clear Wednesday that he was not in the race.
The CPI-M and other Left leaders have not expressed opposition to any candidate by name.
But with the DMK also announcing its support for any Congress nominee, the Left may have to backtrack and be forced to vote for anyone the Congress picks.
"We cannot abstain either as that might help Shekhawat," said one Left leader.
Congress leaders fear cross voting in the party and within the alliance because Shekhawat is seen as a politician who has over the decades built up excellent personal equations with leaders and members of almost all political parties.
"This is the reason we have to ensure the Left support," one Congress leader told IANS.
The presidential election will take place July 19. An electoral college comprising MPs and legislators elects the president through secret ballot.