Kalam for Round 2 if there's certainty: Naidu

NEW DELHI: The Third Front on Wednesday claimed that President A P J Abdul Kalam was ready to contest the Presidential election for a second term provided there was "certainty" but it did not elaborate on what it meant. "He is willing to consider contesting for a second term provided there is certainty among political parties," TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, said, here, after a meeting with Kalam in the company of the newly-formed United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) leaders. Asked repeatedly as to what he meant by certainty, Naidu said, "that implies everything. You draw your own inference." Earlier, Kalam had made it clear that he would consider throwing his hat in the ring only if there was consensus in his favour. Naidu was accompanied by SP leaders Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh, INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala, MDMK leader Vaiko, AIADMK representatives Malaichamy, Thambidurai, Maitreyan and AGP chief Brindaban Goswami. On Monday, the alliance leaders had met in Chennai and decided to back Kalam for a second term, giving a new twist to the Presidential race. Straight from the Rashtrapati Bhavan the leaders drove to Amar Singh's residence for a meeting to chalk out their next strategy. AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa cancelled her visit to Delhi at the last minute on health grounds. Asked about her absence, Naidu said the party was being represented by three of its senior leaders and she had also telephoned him in the morning expressing her inability to attend the meeting. Observing that several surveys had indicated that more than 90 per cent of the people were in favour of Kalam, Naidu said their was total unanimity in the country for his nomination as President. "All sections of the society, farmers, students, businessmen, the total country is accepting Kalam's name," he said. "With that mission, we requested Kalam that he should contest for the second term in the interest of the nation and not for any individual," Naidu told reporters after the 45-minute meeting with Kalam. He said Kalam was deeply involved in igniting the minds of the young people and promoting the country and he has done extremely good work which nobody has done in the past. "Now it is the responsibility of the political parties to support his candidature. We appeal to all the political parties to support Kalam as it is the mandate of the people," he said. Asked what would be the UNPA's future plans if Kalam refused to contest, Chautala said "how can you say that. Wait till the 30th." June 30 is the last day for filing nominations.