By IANS
New Delhi : United Progressive Allliance (UPA) nominee Pratibha Patil and Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, backed by the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA), got down to some serious campaigning in the Indian presidential election as the deadline for withdrawal of candidature ended Wednesday.
Putting behind the war of words and the mud slinging following the announcement of their candidatures, both began their campaign in right earnest.
Patil, who launched her campaign from Tamil Nadu Sunday, was in Puducherry Wednesday and is expected to travel to Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the next few days.
Soon after the Congress party announced Patil's name, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had targeted her with a high-pitch campaign for alleged financial improprieties. However, the Congress' strategy for the time being appears to be not to launch a counter-offensive.
Information & Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, who is Patil's election manager, hinted at this approach.
"We will not use any material of disinformation or misinformation that will malign the election to the highest constitutional office. This is not an election like the US presidential election or the one for the German chancellorship," said Dasmunsi.
The Left parties, supporting Patil, have already said the presidential election should not be reduced to the level of "a municipal corporation election".
"The UPA, Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party have decided not to do anything that may go against the tradition of the presidential elections," added Dasmunsi.
The UPA will not print any posters or handbills as the electoral college consists of informed members of parliament and legislative assemblies.
Exuding confidence, Dasmunsi declared that Patil would get at least 575,000 first preference votes and this number could further go up in the coming weeks.
The polling is scheduled for July 19.
For Shekhawat, notwithstanding all the denials and attempts to distance himself from the BJP, it was apparent that the party was leading the campaign. Its senior leader Sushma Swaraj, now acting as Shekhawat's spokesperson, headed to Jaipur to address party legislators.
"We are forming committees in each state and union territory for the campaign. These committees will be headed by state BJP presidents and will include legislative party leaders and chief whips. If other NDA parties have their presence, they too will be included in these committees," said Swaraj.
Senior BJP leaders including L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, M. Venkaiah Naidu and Ravi Shankar Prasad will tour Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh over the next 10 days.
The NDA MPs and MLAs have been directed to come to Delhi by July 17 where a meeting is scheduled to discuss the polling strategy for the election.
Interestingly, the scene at Shekhawat's official residence at the Maulana Azad Road was devoid of any frenzied activity.
The presidential hopeful even retired for his afternoon siesta after lunch. His media manager K.L. Kochar reiterated what he had been always stating on his chances in the upcoming poll: "I am the media's candidate. If I win it is the media's victory and if I lose it will be media's loss."
Unlike Patil who is hotfooting in around the country, Shekhawat is expected to stay put in the capital itself.
"People are coming to meet him from all over. We are not using any government machinery and have installed two private telephones and using only private vehicles," said Kochar.