Shekhawat also favours Kalam

New Delhi: In a quick turn of events, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhwat on Monday night offered to withdraw from the Presidential race saying he would be happy if consensus could be achieved on the candidature of incumbent President APJ Abdul Kalam.

Shekhawat announced his decision hours after the Third Front decided to back Kalam for the second term in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Earlier on Monday, Shekhawat had formally thrown in the hat in the presidential contest as in Independent candidate, supported by the NDA. "Nothing would give me greater satisfaction than the President (Kalam) so consenting. For this, total unanimity of all parties is an imperative. I would be happy if that were achieved," Shekhawat said in a statement.

The surprise decision by eight Third Front parties in Chennai earlier on Monday to not go with either NDA or UPA and instead back Kalam for the Presidential post sparked off fast-paced political developments in Delhi.

Seventy-five-year-old Kalam is, however, understood to be reluctant about taking up the post for a second time. But at no occasion, Kalam had given any direct reply on whether he wished to have another innings.

"What I am saying is the only issue that anyone coming to this post has to always keep the nation bigger than himself or herself... For me the nation has always been bigger than myself and it will continue to remain so," he would say. But now, he is back in the limelight again with even NDA leaders expressing their readiness to accept him as a consensus President.

"We will meet Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and persuade him to contest the elections," AIADMK chief Jayalalitha said in Chennai. The Third Front leaders are likely meet President Kalam as early as Wednesday to persuade him to agree to contesting for a second term in Rashtrapati Bhawan. Sources in Rashtrapati Bhavan said Third Front leaders had sought time to meet Kalam on Wednesday.

Given the popularity of President Kalam, the UPA found itself on shaky ground as its candidate Pratibha Patil would now be up against major odds if both the NDA and the Third Front parties manage to convince Kalam to take up presidentship for a second time.

Asked for the party response to the proposal, Congress leader Jayanthi Natarajan said: "We have enormous respect for Dr Kalam. President Kalam has had a remarkable tenure as the President." This clearly showed the predicament the Congress finds itself in. Justifying Patil's candidature, Natarajan said: "Pratibha Patil's candidature is a historical initiative."

Announcing their unanimous support for a second term for Kalam, the Third Front parties, in fact, dismissed Pratibha Patil as a "joke played on the nation by Sonia Gandhi."

They said Pratibha Patil does not have the kind of stature to become President. "Kalam is a neutral person. Pratibha Patil cannot be compared to Dr Kalam," TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu said in Chennai after the meeting.

The Third Front leaders also pointed out that Kalam commands the respect of all sections of the society. The eight parties also requested other political parties to put aside political considerations and support Kalam's candidature. "We will wait for the political response," Jayalalitha said.

(With agency inputs)