Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: With less than three months to go for the Presidential Elections to choose the country’s 13th president, there is speculation that APJ Abdul Kalam might return to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Reports say Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party, J Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress have reached an understanding on supporting Kalam for the top post.
Also on Sunday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, an ally of the ruling UPA government, said that he wants a non-political person to become the next president.
"In my opinion, a non-political person would be the ideal choice as the next president," Pawar told reporters.
Pawar was responding to speculation that the NCP was going to field former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma as its presidential nominee. Pawar said his party had no such plans, adding "we have only 16 MPs, we know our limitations".
The NCP chief’s statement is important in the context of reports that the Congress may field its own nominee for the presidential elections. Sources say the Congress contender could be Defence Minister AK Antony.
There has also been talk of Congress’ Sam Pitroda, Vice President Hamid Ansari, SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal.
First Published: Monday, April 23, 2012, 09:18