The stage is all set for electing a successor to incumbent President A P J Abdul Kalam on Thursday.

Although, regarded as one of the most bitterly campaigned presidential elections in the history of India, the fight for ballots seem to be one-sided as the ruling UPA-Left combine?s candidate, Pratibha Patil, is sitting pretty with majority of the votes in her kitty. Apart from the UPA-Left votes, she has the support of the BSP and some smaller parties.

Things are not going great guns for NDA-backed independent candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as allies of the Opposition camp are backing out one by one. The Vice-President?s woes have compounded with NDA allies like Shiv Sena deciding to vote for Patil and Mamata Banerjee?s Trinamool Congress and Deve Gouda?s JD(S) deciding to remain neutral. It now seems that Shekhawat would not be able to show even a semblance of a fight.

Given the stated position of the parties, the confirmed votes of the BJP-led NDA are only 3,14,411 against the combined tally of 6,31,464 of the UPA, which include its allies and supporting parties.

Going by the above figures the ruling alliance has been claiming that Patil will romp home with a margin of about 3 lakh votes. But avoiding to read the obvious, the NDA is contending that conscience vote will help Shekhawat and he will be able to spring a surprise in the electoral college having over 10.98-lakh-vote value.

Using the occasion, Shekhawat?s spokesperson Sushma Swaraj appealed to the voters that they should come to the polling booths and cast their votes using their conscience. ?Democracy and democratic institutions are under threat, come forward to cast your vote and help country dispersing the cloud,? she said.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader L K Advani on Wednesday admitted that ally Shiv Sena?s decision to support Pratibha Patil and the UNPA?s decision to abstain from the election were a ?jolt? to his party.

During the month-long campaign, the NDA camp sought to ?expose? Patil for the ?lapses? during her chairpersonship of a co-operative bank in Maharashtra and alleged diversion of MPLAD funds for a trust run by her husband, whereas the Congress attempted to embarrass Shekhawat.