Pranab likely to be UPA's nominee for president: Experts

It has been a day of intense activity and 4 pm is when UPA meet. So, the race is still on for the next president and twist and turns are along the way.

In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Rajdeep Sardesai, editor-in-chief, CNN IBN and N Ram, former editor-in-chief, The Hindu say, Finance Minister is likely to become the UPA’s nominee for president. President poll: Eyes on UPA meet, Pranab or a 'dark horse'? Below is the edited transcript of the interview with CNBC-TV18's Udayan Mukherjee and Mitali Mukherjee. Also watch the accompanying videos. Q: How the cookie may crumble by 4 pm today? Sardesai: The sense one gets is that the Congress is now working overtime on Mulayam Singh. Through interlocutors, they have been able to reach out to try and somehow convince him that even if he doesn’t want to openly endorse the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee, for example, he should not be seen to oppose it.  That is the sense one is getting that Mulayam Singh may not openly oppose Pranab Mukherjee’s candidature, if that is indeed to be announced at 4 pm. So, possibly a road block has been cleared.  Another road block could be cleared by indications coming in from those close to APJ Abdul Kalam that the former president will not contest and election, he wants to be elected by “consensus” something that seems extremely unlikely around Kalam’s candidature, given the fact that the Congress doesn’t want him as the next President. In that situation, it appears that the door is slowly opening for Pranab Mukherjee. So, unless there is a last minute surprise and Mulayam refuses to commit himself to not opposing Pranab Mukherjee, the Finance Minister looks likely to become the UPA’s nominee for president. Q: Where do you think this will swing? If indeed it is Pranab Mukherjee’s name that is finally decided upon, do you think the opposition will fall in line? N Ram: In the last presidential contest, Pranab Mukherjee was willing, but the High Command was not. This time Pranab is made is all or nothing, it is very clear. He said, ‘I must be nominated.’ I think it’s going to be very hard to stop that. So, to me, it’s a foregone conclusion that Pranab Mukherjee will be UPA’s nominee because they have gone too far in this game. It was triggered by Mamata’s revealing the mind of Sonia Gandhi. So, Pranab is there and he is a very serious candidate.  I always had doubts about APJ Abdul Kalam entering the fray, unless there was a consensus because that was the position he took last time. And we know he doesn’t want the reputation he has build-up to be in any way devalued by contest possibly on the losing side. So that part is not known who is going to be the opposition candidate. But it’s clear that Pranab Mukherjee is in the ring and nothing on earth could stop that. For complete interview, watch the accompanying videos.