Shekhawat meets Pratibha Patil

Unmindful of protocol, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who is likely to contest the presidential election as an independent, on Saturday met United Progressive Alliance-Left nominee for the post, Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil in Delhi.

Shekhawat surprised everyone by going to Jodhpur House to meet Pratibha.

The vice president was accompanied by party colleague and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the meeting that lasted 20 minutes.

Also present in the meeting was Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chauhan.

Shekhawat, after the meeting, did not wait to talk to reporters.

He brushed aside the mikes of the waiting electronic media and refused to answer any questions.

One of the questions being put to him was whether he had blessed Pratibha for the election.

Pratibha, whose name was announced as the UPA-Left nominee for the top post on Thursday and who arrived in Delhi on Saturday, had sought an appointment with Shekhawat.

A Maharashtrian of Rajasthani descent, Patil is married to Devi Singh Shekhawat, who hails from near the vice president's village in Rajasthan. Both Patil and Shekhawat share excellent personal relations.

Pratibha, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Left leaders, was also scheduled to meet Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who was earlier considered a front-runner for the election.