The line up for the presidential poll would be clear by Tuesday when the NDA  and the Third Front would open their cards and officially declare their candidates and strategies to polarise electoral college for the presidential election which may witness a keen triangular contest.

An indication that a contest for the presidential election seemed certain came from BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj, who on Saturday expressed her party’s resolve to back Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in spite of the prime minister’s appeal to the NDA to support Pratibha Patil.

“There is no question of a consensus candidate,” declared Ms Swaraj  here.

The NDA which would reveal their moves on Monday has already approached Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to seek support for Shekhawat.

NDA convenor George Fernandes has understood to have spoken to Yadav and solicited his party’s backing for Shekhawat who may contest as an “independent candidate” to widen his support base beyond the NDA.

Former prime minister Chandrashekhar has extended his support to Shekhawat describing him as a man of high stature and integrity and appealed others to vote for him.

While, the Third Front, of which the SP is a key component,  would meet at Chennai on Tuesday to finalise their stand on the presidential poll, the SP General Secretary Amar Singh interacted with  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with the latter seeking out his party’s backing for the UPA nominee Pratibha Patil.

SP support sought

After an half-hour meeting with the prime minister, Mr Singh said there was no discussion between them on the presidential election but disclosed that the prime minister had talked to Mr Yadav seeking the SP support for Patil.
Asked about AIADMK supremo’s comment that the name of the Third Front candidate would be announced on Tuesday, Amar Singh said individual opinion (of Third Front parties) has no meaning and that a decision on the election would be taken in Chennai on Monday.

“The decision will be collective,” he said.  Now that there is no consensus on the presidential candidate and a contest is inevitable, the National Democratic Alliance is expected to field a candidate for the vice-president.

Unlike the presidential poll where MPs and MLAs both vote, vice-presidential election excludes MLAs.
The vice-presidential poll  would be a cake walk for the UPA nominee.