Names of Farooq, others in play for Opposition President pick

NEW DELHI:   It’s that season when names swirl around like summer dust for the next incumbent of the mansion atop Raisina Hill. Who the Prime Minister smiles at or does namaste to is being watched with a hawk eye.

The Opposition too is donning its armour—a contest is more or less certain, even if its numbers mean it will be symbolic. Chief ministers and a mentor of CMs are trying to settle on a common Opposition candidate. Sharad Pawar is in the thick of the action, even as he slinks away from a contest himself.

With Sonia Gandhi away in hospital and Rahul Gandhi busy fending off the ED’s queries, it was left to Pawar to give some shape to the disaggregated Opposition army. Pawar had powwows with both West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and her arch-foes, Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, in Delhi.

Other heavyweights will arrive on Wednesday. Pawar is plumping for long-time friend Farooq Abdullah. The Left is once again keen on former Bengal governor Gopal Gandhi—he had dropped out last time after the Congress fielded Meira Kumar, and may or may not agree. Farooq is not unwilling. But the last word won’t be said till Didi speaks her mind. Yashwant Sinha’s name too was doing the rounds in that context!