M A I N   N E W S

Third front wants Kalam
Arup Chanda
Tribune News Service

AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha addresses a press conference to announce A P J Abdul Kalam as the presidential candidate of the United National Progressive Alliance in Chennai on Monday. — PTI

Chennai, June 18
The third front which was baptized today as the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) wants President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to continue for the second consecutive term as the ruling United People's Alliance (UPA) nominee is a “joke on the nation” and many parties have reservation about vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to be the country's next President.

Addressing a press conference at her residence her along with other UNPA leaders, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo Jayaram Jayalalithaa said, “President Kalam is universally acceptable as the best choice by all sections of the society and commands the respect. We feel a general consensus should be built in his favour for continuing for a second term as President.”

Commenting on the UPA nominee Pratibha Patil for the Presidential poll next month, she said, “She is a joke played on the nation by Sonia Gandhi and people of the country are not inclined to take her candidature seriously.

“With all due respect to Pratibha Patil, she can never be compared with Kalam. She simply does not have the kind of stature which Kalam enjoys among the people irrespective of class.”

According to sources, other than the Samajwadi Party, the INLD, the Telugu Desam Party and the Asom Gana Parishad had strong reservation about Shekhawat as he belongs to the Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh though his role as vice-president was considered impartial. While the SP did not want to lose its Muslim vote bank by supporting Shekhawat, the INLD, the TDP and the AGP do not enjoy good relations with the respective state units of the BJP, which today extended his support to Shekhawat to contest as an independent candidate.

Jayalalithaa said that all leaders of the UNPA strongly felt that election to the highest Constitutional office in the country “should not be politicised” and appealed to all political parties to urge Kalam to continue.

Trying to outwit Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Jayalalithaa said, “We are appealing to all parties, including the DMK, because President Kalam hails from Tamil Nadu.”

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav exhorted the “people of the country to create pressure on their elected representatives to support Kalam’s candidature” while former Haryana Chief Minister and INLD president Om Prakash Chautala said, “It is the question of country’s future and President Kalam is a non-controversial man. We will force him to accept the responsibility for the second time.”

The UNPA leaders said they would seek an appointment with President Kalam in their bid to convince him and file his nomination papers for the second time.

Jayalalithaa said, “We will meet President Kalam and persuade him in the interest of the nation. Various surveys conducted by television channels and print media indicated an overwhelming support for Kalam and 90 per cent of the people want him to continue for a second term. “Our decision is the reflection of overwhelming response of the masses in Kalam’s favour.”

Mulayam Singh Yadav said, “President Kalam has won the respect of the people and is a household name today. Despite differences we want all parties to support him.”

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu said, “The post of President is not for political purposes but for nation building and we need a statesman like President Kalam. It will also benefit our economy as even Prime Minister has accepted that the economic benefits are not reaching the poor and farmers were committing suicide.”

Naidu recalled that during the last presidential election there was a “dispute as the then ruling BJP-led NDA had mooted former Maharashtra Governor P.C. Alexander’s name but later there was a general consensus about Kalam except for the Left parties”.

Asked why the UNPA did not prefer to support a woman candidate in Pratibha Patil, Jayalalithaa replied, “The UPA itself is not interested in honouring women. Why don’t they pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Parliament?”

She said that more political parties would be joining the UNPA in due course and the Presidential poll, “the country will witness a political realignment,” and added, “We will be a viable alternative to the Congress and the BJP led fronts as the nation’s destiny is being shaped by regional parties.”

Though Jayalalitha did most of the briefing, none was elected as Chairperson of the UNPA and the next meeting of the front will be hosted by Chautala in Delhi after the Presidential election.