With cracks appearing both in the NDA and the newly formed UNPA, voting for one the most bitterly campaigned presidential election took place on Thursday setting the stage almost clear for the ruling alliance?s candidate Pratibha Patil to become first woman to occupy Rashtrapati Bhavan.
With all indications pointing to a one-sided contest in favour of UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil, Opposition NDA-backed independent candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat suffered because of cracks in his supporting alliance and also in the nascent UNPA. The winner will succeed incumbent President APJ Abdul Kalam, who will demit office on July 25.
For Shekhawat, the trouble followed him from day one when he announced his candidature, as the Shiv Sena, the BJP?s oldest ideological ally, broke ranks to support Patil. The Trinamool Congress, another key NDA constituent, also chose to abstain.Woes of Shekhawat increased with dissident BJP MLAs in Gujarat voting in favour of Patil to show their unhappiness with chief minister Narendra Modi?s style of functioning.
The fledgling UNPA, also known as the Third Front, had earlier declared it would abstain to maintain equi-distance from the UPA and the NDA, but saw constituents AIADMK and MDMK making a U-turn on the grouping?s decision.
Dissidents within the INLD in Rajasthan, Samajwadi Party (SP) in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh and TDP in Andhra Pradesh?all part of the Third Front?also went against the grouping?s decision to abstain.