The candidature of Pranab Mukherjee, as the UPA nominee for the forthcoming presidential contest, announced by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, has drawn wide support from across the political spectrum, with there being little doubt, even amongst the staunchest of critics, that Pranabda, as he is fondly referred to, would be the most suitable candidate given his unblemished record in public life spanning almost five decades coupled with his wide experience in matters of governance and constitutional niceties. Pranabda, who hails from a middle-class family with a legacy of participating in the freedom struggle, spent his childhood in the small village of Mirati in West Bengal.