New Delhi Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawars remarks favouring a person with ‘not too much’of a political mind for the Presidents post has stirred the pot with parties, including the Congress, chanting the mantra of a consensus candidate
in the upcoming Presidential Polls. Former President A P J Abdul Kalams name cropped up in the discussions on Monday with Samajwadi Party saying it was ‘not averse’to his candidature while others remained ambivalent.
Pawar, leader of the NCP and one of the important constituents of the UPA, clarified this morning that he had only talked about an ‘agreed’candidate and not a non- political person for the post. ‘I have not said this. I have spoken about agreed candidate,’Pawar told reporters when asked to comment on his yesterdays reported remarks of a ‘non- political’candidate for the post of the President.
He insisted that neither the UPA nor the NDA has the numbers and, therefore, a process of consultation was necessary. ‘I am sure leadership concerned will start the process. We need to think about agreed candidature at this moment,’he said.
Pawars remarks triggered instant reaction with two senior Ministers Kapil Sibal and Ghulam Nabi Azad saying that they were working towards a consensus.
Azad, a member of the GoM on Media, told reporters that the office of President is big and no political party has a majority to get its candidate elected.
‘If the President is elected, it will be through consensus.
In a democracy, every group has a right to express its opinion about an individual or a leader,’he said. Asked about Pawars remarks, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, also a member of the GoM, said ‘We have been working towards a consensus.’On questions about second term for Kalam, Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury refused to go into issue, merely saying Kalam is a respected personality.
‘We respect him… it was nice to have had Kalam ( as President). I donalt39t have the authority to say anything more than this,’she said.
Former MP and SP leader Shahid Siddiqui said if there is a consensus his party was not averse to Kalams name.
Agriculture minister and key UPA leader Sharad Pawar on Sunday had favoured a nonpolitical candidate as the next President in view of the fact that UPA and NDA did not have the strength to elect their own nominee.
