PRESIDENT PRANAB Sonia Calls Mamata’s Bluff, Gets SP & BSP Nod, Left May Follow

New Delhi: Pranab Mukherjee is all set to be the 13th President of India. Sonia Gandhi announced his candidature on Friday evening after a brief meeting of the United Progressive Alliance. It put an end to the long suspense that marked the rollercoaster race for the nomination of its presidential candidate by the ruling alliance.      Mukherjee is expected to win the contest hands down, with the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party pledging their support and the Left likely to follow suit. They, along with the UPA, account for a majority in the electoral college. The advantage promises to become overwhelming with cracks showing up in the BJPled National Democratic Alliance over opposition to Mukherjee's candidature.      The BJP's ally Janata Dal (U) is arguing against a contest by citing the stature of the veteran politician and the need to avoid acrimony over a losing battle. In fact, with former President A P J Abdul Kalam unlikely to enter the fray, the election may become just a formality. The denouement marked a rather satisfactory outcome for the Congress, in particular its leader Sonia Gandhi who succeeded in calling Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee's bluff. The party was keen to have its nominee installed in Rashtrapati Bhavan but was handicapped by adverse mathematics in the wake of the UP poll debacle and Banerjee's dogged opposition to the finance minister.      In the event, it pulled off a political feat by getting both the SP and BSP to endorse its nominee, while isolating Mamata who had teamed up with Mulayam Singh only to fall flat. In a dramatic sequence of events, Mulayam played along with Mamata but reversed gears in time to bail out the UPA.      It was a crowning moment for Mukherjee, a politician with more than five decades in public life.  PM, Sonia reach out for consensus      There is a strong chance that Pranab Mukherjee may emerge as a presidential nominee enjoying a wide consensus. Soon after the UPA endorsed him, PM Manmohan Singh began efforts to bag support for Mukherjee by getting on the phone to leaders of the BJP, CPI and JD(S). P 15  FINALLY, THE JOB HE HAS LONG COVETED (AFTER PM)  9.45am SP leader Ramgopal Yadav indicates support for Pranab. Kiranmoy Nanda, party MP, appears with Mamata, says Kalam is 'their' candidate. Another MP Mohan Singh says can't support NDA nominee, hinting Kalam unacceptable. Overall, clear that SP will back Pranab and UPA 3.45pm Sonia meets PM. UPA meeting begins shortly after. Sonia announces Pranab candidature. PM starts calling parliamentary leaders, chief ministers seeking support for Pranab. Sonia slated to later call heads of political parties 7.15pmBeaming Pranab thanks Sonia, says he will also seek support of 'sister' Mamata. who has been outmanoeuvred, left isolated by Delhi's bewildering political gamesmanship WINNERS  PRANAB Gets Delhi's swankiest address. May well play a key role if coalition politics at Centre gets sharper  MANMOHAN Gets assured term, greater say in finance ministry, cohesion in cabinet meetings  SONIA Stamps her standing as UPA boss. Takes on troublesome ally, Mamata, and trumps  CHIDAMBARAM With Pranab moving on, PC expected to flower againLOSERS  MAMATA Badly outplayed in Delhi's power play. Either misunderstood Mulayam or misplaced her trust in him. Is now isolated  NDA Had no role in selection of president. Its hopes briefly rose when M&M came together, to vanish next day when Mulayam flipped to the other side  HAMID ANSARI Was always in with a chance, until Mamata's defiance forced Sonia to back Pranab and call her bluff  NEW NUMBERS  UPA plus supporting parties minus Trinamool 49%  If Left's 5% comes along, it will add up to 54% If JD(U) supports Pranab, it will be 58%  If NDA heeds PM's appeal, support can grow to 82% Prez nomination: 'Righting of protocol' F or seven years since the advent of UPA, it rankled the veteran that despite being the oldest Congress insider in the ruling dispensation, he had to report to Manmohan Singh, a rank outsider whom he had appointed as RBI governor. So, it was a 'righting of protocol' in many ways when Sonia Gandhi, at 4.40pm, announced that the finance minister would be the ruling combine's candidate for the presidential election. Being the head of state, the President figures on the top of the hierarchy and with powers, technically speaking, to appoint the PM.      With the hunt for the next President over, the Congress leadership is now faced with the job of finding who can fill "Dada's" big shoes. Sonia needs to find a leader of the House in the Lok Sabha as well as a new finance minister. Then, there is the task of appointing new heads for GoMs and EGoMs that Mukherjee headed, not to speak of finding a political troubleshooter of his calibre. Home minister P Chidambaram will be required to do some heavy lifting and is considered to be among the probables for the role of the leader of the House.      Mukherjee's arrival in Rashtrapati Bhavan will also transform the imposing colonial building into more than a ceremonial edifice. His tenure will mark a break from the recent pattern of elevating technocrats (A P J Abdul Kalam) or political lightweights (incumbent Pratibha Patil) to the top constitutional post.     Though titular in the constitutional scheme, the President's role has often been crucial, often innovative, with the occupants interpreting it in diverse ways. Close electoral results and coalition politics have added to the interest in the office. With the Congress succeeding in luring Mulayam to its fold after the SP chief briefly threatened to join hands with Mamata, the announcement of Mukherjee's candidature was a mere formality. It was completed swiftly just after Sonia Gandhi sought the endorsement of UPA allies. GOLDEN GLOW: WIN-WIN FOR BOTH PRANAB AND THE PM?