In the race for Raisina Hill, UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee has not just surged ahead, he has virtually split both the NDA and the Left.
While the BJP decided to back former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma’s candidature, the JD(U), its key ally, declared support for Mr Mukherjee Thursday. The two have also locked horns over BJP attempts to project Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as its 2014 prime ministerial candidate.
The division between the BJP and JD(U) became evident with both parties holding separate press conferences to announce their decisions on their presidential nominees. Another NDA party, the Shiv Sena, had earlier declared its support for Mr Mukherjee. While the Akali Dal had said it would go with the BJP’s decision to back Mr Sangma, it is yet to formally announce its candidate.
The Left’s unity was also shattered with the CPI(M) and Forward Bloc backing Mr Mukherjee, while the CPI and RSP decided to abstain. CPI(M) sources said Mr Mukherjee had contacted its general secretary Prakash Karat earlier this week on this issue.
Mr Mukherjee, with the support of most of the UPA plus JD(U), CPI(M), Forward Bloc and Shiv Sena, now has at least 6.29 lakh assured votes, well beyond the 5,49,442 “magic figure”. Mr Sangma, with the support of the BJP, BJD and AIADMK, could possibly get 3.10 lakh votes.
With the JD(U) declaring support for Mr Mukherjee, a desperate BJP is now trying to get Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on its side. BJP leader Arun Jaitley said she was a “serious and experienced politician”, and expressed the hope she would back the Opposition candidate.
While Mr Sangma’s fight is been seen as largely symbolic, the BJP tried to put up a brave face, saying the former Speaker was one of the nation’s “tall leaders” and the “tallest leader” from the Northeast.
Mr Jaitley and Ms Sushma Swaraj, addressing the media, said they “regretted” having failed to bring all NDA allies on board, and said they hoped the Shiv Sena would rethink its stand. Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, however, said in Mumbai there “will be no rethink”.