NEW DELHI, 22 June 2007 — The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) yesterday rejected the proposal by the regional United New Progressive Alliance (UNPA) to support President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for a second term.
The leaders of UNPA or Third Front, who have been campaigning for another five-year term for Kalam, met CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat at his party headquarters here hoping to persuade him to back the incumbent president.
However, Karat reportedly told them that the CPI-M-led left parties had already clarified that they did not believe in giving a second term to the president. No one, except India’s first President Rajendra Prasad, has had a second term.
Meanwhile Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said yesterday, “We have decided to keep aside our political differences and support Kalam’s candidature. Seeing the mood of the nation and the will of the people, we believe that Kalam is the best choice. It is in the interest of the nation to have him for a second term. He is the common man’s president,” Mulayam said.
A Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson said the president told a Third Front delegation on Wednesday that considering the overwhelming love and affection of the people, he could accept a second term provided there is certainty about his victory.
If Kalam joins the race, his rival would be Pratibha Patil, a nominee of the United Progressive Alliance-Left combine. Pratibha met Kalam yesterday and submitted her resignation as Rajasthan governor. “I have submitted my resignation to the president. I thanked him for the help and guidance he gave me,” Pratibha told reporters after a brief meeting with Kalam.
With June 30 being the last day for filing nominations, the Third Front has a little more than a week to build support for Kalam. However, the Congress, the left parties and several UPA members have rejected the Third Front’s proposal for Kalam’s second term.
“Kalam should resign gracefully as it is too late for any reconsideration on the issue,” said Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal). He and his wife Rabri Devi have signed nomination papers of UPA-Left presidential candidate Pratibha Patil yesterday as proposers.
“The match is over for Kalam. We do not expect the game to be started again. We are very clear about that,” Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party) said.
Meanwhile, living up to his reputation of being a “missile-man,” Kalam, at a public function yesterday, handed over a replica of the mobile launchers of the BrahMos to army chief, Gen. J.J. Singh, symbolizing the commencement of the missiles’ delivery one year ahead of schedule.
Speaking on the occasion, Kalam said: “It is a historic day for Indian-Russian cooperation and the Joint Venture BrahMos, which has grown from strength to strength during the last nine years.”
Calling on the authorities to aggressively market it, he said: “In the Indian history it is the first time that a world class supersonic missile has been made available by the scientific and industrial community well ahead of time.” Before competitors take the lead, Kalam said: “We have to aggressively market this world-class product.”
