It's checkmate UPA as NDA reads writing on wall

The National Democratic Alliance on Tuesday favoured an all-party consensus on a second term for President A P J Abdul Kalam but made it clear that Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat will be in the fray as an independent in case there is a contest.

"He (Shekhawat) has paved the way for building a consensus on Kalam. The ball is now in the Congress' court," said NDA spokesperson Sushma Swaraj, who denied that the Vice-President's statement implied he could withdraw from the race in the event of an election.

The BJP leader claimed that the President himself had asked the NDA two months ago not to take any initiative for building a consensus on his name. She said Kalam wanted that the Congress and the Left should rather make such a move first.

"In the absence of a consensus, Shekhawat will remain NDA-backed candidate. He is not nervous. He was, is and will remain in the fray," Swaraj remarked.

At the same time, she said the NDA would act in accordance with the wishes of Shekhawat, who she pointed out was an independent candidate unlike Patil.

She described Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's appeal to alliance leaders to support UPA-Left presidential candidate Pratibha Patil as a sign of desperation and called Shekhawat's last night statement a sign of statesmanship.

Swaraj said both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia were required to explain to the country what had been their "reservations" over Kalam.

She said Shekhawat had spoken to NDA chairperson Atal Bihari Vajpayee, senior BJP leader L K Advani and other top leaders of the opposition alliance before issuing a statement in favour of Kalam.

"Now, we are asking for a response from the Congress," she said.

She cited television surveys showing Kalam as the most preferred choice for the highest office.

Unease, however, has developed within the BJP over Shekhawat's candidacy with some in the party privately admitting that chances of his success are bleak.