By IANS
New Delhi : Nominations open Saturday to elect a new Indian president July 19, it was announced Wednesday, but the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is still undecided on who its candidate would be.
Although Home Minister Shivraj Patil's name continues to take the round as Congress president Sonia Gandhi's nominee, there has been no announcement yet as the Congress has failed to get the consent of the DMK as well as the Left, which extends outside support to the coalition government.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance is meanwhile expected to rally behind Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, a BJP veteran who is likely to contest as an independent.
While Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati announced her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)'s crucial support to the Congress candidate Tuesday, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led four-party grouping still has reservations about the home minister.
Left leaders privately said they doubted Patil's secular credentials. According to the communists, they want to make a "last ditch effort" to change the Congress stance and push External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's name as a candidate to succeed President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, whose tenure ends next month.
The communist leaders, who were expecting DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi here Wednesday morning, want him to support their stance against Patil. Karunanidhi postponed his arrival due to illness.
However, the Left leaders admit that if the entire UPA forms a general consensus over Patil, the Left would be forced to vote in his favour. "We cannot abstain either, as it might help Shekhawat," said one Left leader.
Many UPA allies including the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Nationalist Congress Party have announced their unconditional support to a Congress nominee.
Although the Congress-led UPA along with BSP is ahead of the NDA tally in the electoral college, Congress leaders admit that there could be "cross voting" in the party and the alliance. "That is the reason we have to ensure the Left support also," one party leader told IANS.
An electoral college comprising MPs and legislators elect the president through secret ballot. The value of a legislator's vote is decided on the basis of the state's population. The value of an MP's vote is 708.
Announcing the dates for the presidential election, Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami said nomination papers could be submitted from Saturday.
"The last date of nominations will be June 30 and (their) scrutiny will take place July 3. The last date for withdrawal of nominations will be July 4," he told a press conference.
"The election will take place on July 19 and the counting of votes will be on July 21," he said.
Kalam was overwhelmingly elected the Indian president five years ago with the backing of the BJP, Congress and all major parties except the Left.