New Delhi: It’s not just the UPA that wants Shekhawat out of the Presidential race, the BJP-Sena marriage is on the rocks over this issue and the rest of the NDA isn't all excited either.
"We will re-analyse our relationship with Shiv Sena after the polls,” BJP leader Sushma Swaraj announced on Tuesday.
Shekhawat’s initial optimism also appears to be misplaced now as his stature as a veteran politician - who has weathered many a political storm - hasn’t cut much ice with politicians across the board.
He entered the presidential battle as an Independent, but had to bear the embarrassment of not getting the support of the Shiv Sena, BJP's oldest ally.
So what went wrong in NDA's campaign to take Shekhawat to Raisina Hill?
Within the BJP, there were two opinions on whether Shekhawat could be a winning horse. His name came up only after Kalam refused to be wooed by the BJP initially
A section of the JD(U) - another key NDA ally led by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar - was also opposed to Shekhawat and so is Mamata Banerjee's.Trinamool Congress.
His close affinity with the Sangh Parivaar meant that even as Vice President Shekhawat was looked at as a BJP man, something which acted as a hurdle in his attempts to reach out to non-NDA parties.
Even former NDA allies like the TDP - now with the Third Front UNPA - refused to back him.
The rift within the NDA on the Presidency debate is just a symbol of a larger problem. The BJP too is a house divided. Party chief Rajnath Singh is unwilling to get into any debate on what went wrong in Uttar Pradesh and is busy settling scores with his party rivals like Arun Jaitly.
Therefore, Jaitly, the otherwise suave spokesperson, gave the party's national executive a miss.
Sanjay Joshi, once the all-powerful pracharak wasn't even invited in 2007, making the signs of more trouble for the saffron family in future obvious.
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