The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Friday said it did not look good if an incumbent President expresses his readiness to contest the Presidential poll in the absence of a consensus.
"It doesn't look good if the incumbent President says he is ready to fight if victory is certain. But he [Kalam] said that. If everybody accepts, that is a different matter. But if that is not the case, then it doesn't speak well of the President or even the office of President," CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.
When pointed out that Kalam is described as "people's President" on the basis of various SMS polls and surveys, he said such polls were no proof of popular opinion.
"There is a difference between citizens and netizens. Those who are talking of people's power are in cyberspace and not in real space. They are talking in terms of e-mails getting clogged. Please remember, the number of mails you require to clog your e-mail is less than the number of votes you need to win a corporation election. So do not talk in terms of people's President," he said.
After a meeting on Thursday with UNPA leaders who urged the CPM to support Kalam for a second term, Yechury had advised Kalam to demit office gracefully.