However, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's correction that she was Pratibha Patil Shekhawat evoked laughter among those present at the UPA meeting.

"It is a historic moment in the 60th year of India's independence that a woman is being nominated for the post of President of India," Sonia said. The name of Pratibha Patil came up when Left parties insisted why not nominate a woman for the post.

"Dr Singh thought this was a good idea. In fact he had been preparing a list of top 10 women in the country who would be acceptable as the UPA nominee and Pratibha Patil was one of them," Dr Sanjaya Baru, Dr Singh's media adviser, told newsmen. He refused to divulge the other nine names.

Dr Singh and Sonia spoke to senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee over the phone on Thursday night, seeking the NDA's support for Pratibha Patil.

However, they were rebuffed by the opposition leader who said the opposition alliance has its own candidate.

Vajpayee, chairperson of main Opposition NDA, told Dr Singh and Sonia that UPA had declared its candidate without consulting NDA, which has its candidate and is therefore 'unable' to back the ruling coalition's nominee.

Meanwhile, it has been decided that the post of vice president of India will go to a candidate of the Left parties.

According to high level sources in Congress, the decision in this regard was taken along with the finalisation of Pratibha Patil's candidature for the post of President.

Although, Karunanidhi has staked claim for his party man for the vice president's post, Left parties are unlikely to let it go to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

According to sources in Congress, "The Communist Party of India-Marxist will have their nominee as vice president in August when the elections are due."

Meanwhile, the BJP on Friday was tightlipped on who its candidate would be while claiming that it was reaching out to non-NDA groups for support for its yet-to-be-announced nominee.

"We have started approaching non-NDA groups also to evolve a larger consensus for the candidate," senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

He, however, remained tight-lipped as to who would be the NDA candidate. He also denied having stated that Bhairon Singh Shekhawat would be NDA's candidate.

"I have been wrongly quoted on that. It will be known only on June 18," Naqvi said.

There have been enough hints that Shekhawat wants to contest as an independent candidate, backed by NDA. A decision in this regard is expected to be taken on Monday.

Image: Pratibha Patil
Photograph: http://www.agri-history.org/photos.asp

Also See:
President from Cong, Vice President from Left?
Presidential poll: Third Front yet to take decision
NDA not to back Pratibha Patil
How Pratibha Patil was chosen as Presidential candidate
Profile: UPA prez nominee Pratibha Patil

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