By IANS,
Mumbai : The betting market is hotly ‘contesting’ the forthcoming presidential elections with an estimated Rs.five-six billion at stake over the next head of state.
Soon after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the presidential elections, the betting mafia opened its doors for punters to place their bets on the next incumbent of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
According to current indications available from betting circles, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is the top favourite, commanding a figure of 60 paise per rupee.
In fact, before West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee openly opposed Mukherjee’s candidature, his name quoted 25 paise per rupee.
Despite being in a strategic position, Vice President Hamid Ansari’s chances appear bleak at Rs.15, while former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at Rs.4.50 stands a better chance, according to punters.
Among the other names doing the rounds in the capital, at Rs.7.50, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s prospects fall way below his cabinet colleague (Mukherjee), though higher than Ansari.
Former Lok Sabha speaker and communist leader Somnath Chatterjee is quoted at Rs.17, or almost a negligible presence.
The figures — both of the total amount at stake and the individual contenders — are expected to significantly change as the names of official candidates of both the ruling United Progressive Alliance and the opposition National Democratic Alliance as well as any third group are announced in the next few days.