Narayanan still the most suitable candidate for Presidency

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Vice-President K R Narayanan still remains the favourite in the race for the Presidency, despite indications that the United Front and the Bharatiya Janata Party are putting forward their own candidates for the post.

This was indicated by Congress spokesman V N Gadgil who, in an informal meeting with reporters on Wednesday, claimed that frontrunners for the post of President and vice-president are from the Congress. Apparently, he was referring to Narayanan and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah being cleared for the posts.

Gadgil later clarified that as a dalit candidate, Narayanan was best suited for the top post. He had wide acceptance and was extremely well educated. However, his optimism about Heptullah clinching the vice-president's post might prove a bit premature, as both the UF and the BJP will fight for the post tooth and nail.

The UF too has been consistently projecting Narayanan as the best candidate in the fray. The Left parties -- the Janata Dal, the Tamil Manila Congress, the Telugu Desam Party and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam -- are all for Narayanan. Even the BJP has been forced to support Narayanan's candidature owing to the party's new-found espousal of backward politics, especially dalits.

Though the UF is yet to settle on a candidate for the vice-president's slot, its spokesman Sharad Yadav has indicated that it would be from a minority community.

Meanwhile, it is understood that the BJP leadership is holding talks with its UFcounterparts to reach an understanding about the two top posts. Their suggestion, it would appear, is that the UF go in for the Presidency, and leave the other open to them.

The Congress, BJP and the UF are also believed to be discussing whether or not to heed Election Commissioner G V Krishnamurty's request that the parties in the Presidential and vice-presidential elections should not issue any whip to its members, but leave the matter to a conscience vote.