President Poll: Divided NDA may back Sangma, Left still to decide

A divided NDA is expected to meet and take a final call on who to back in the race for the President's post. The NCP will also meet to decide on the fallout of PA Sangma's resignation while the Left will consider abstaining as an option when it meets on Thursday.

The announcement of Sangma's resignation came from the new NDA entrant Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy. Sangma refused to buckle under pressure from his party that had hoped to convince him to back out from the Presidential race. His refusal to meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar's emissary DP Tripathi twice during the day on Wednesday came as an indication.

"The disinclination of the NCP to endorse my candidature amounts to a denial of the aspirations of the tribals of the country. I have no option but to resign from the NCP. I have resigned accordingly, without any personal intent whatsoever of embarrassing the party and its leadership," Sangma said.

By resigning, PA Sangma has ruled out any doubts about him not being a serious player. But with the numbers not on his side and the NDA divided over endorsing him the question is as to why is the former Lok Sabha speaker entering a losing battle.

The NDA will wait for the Left to clear its stand. So far the BJP senior leadership keen on a contest, hopes to expand its ally base as Sangma enjoys the sponsorship of two regional heavy weights in AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik.

But in this process, it may end up losing its present allies. The Shiv Sena has endorsed UPA's Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee saying, "If you don't have a sword don't enter the battlefield." The JD(U) has also been at loggerheads with the BJP over the Prime Ministerial candidate for 2014 and wants consensus, not a contest against Pranab.

Meanwhile, UPA ally Trinamool Congress on Tuesday took a new turn with the party accusing Pranab of trying to break it. Trinamool leader Derek O Brien tweeted, "Pranab M directly called up a TMC MP seeking support. Politically ethical to do? Or trying to break TMC? Try & try again.Won't break :)." (sic)