New Delhi, June 28
The stage was set for a contest between UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee and Opposition nominee PA Sangma when they filed their nomination papers today for the election of the country’s 13th President.

However, the July 19 election promises to be an unequal contest with Mukherjee having a clear edge over his opponent. This was amply demonstrated by the number of political leaders who turned up in support of the the two candidates when they reached Parliament House to submit their papers to Rajya Sabha secretary general V.K.Agnihotri, the returning officer for this election.

As promised by Mukherjee’s poll managers, the ruling coalition put up a grand show as its tally of supporters far outstripped those who accompanied Sangma.

The first set of Mukherjee’s nomination papers, each proposed and seconded by 60 MPs and legislators, was handed over to the returning officer by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the presence of a large number of Congress leaders, including AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, eight Congress chief ministers and UPA allies T.R. Baalu (DMK), Farooq Abdullah (NC), Ajit Singh (RLD), E.Ahmed (IUML) and D.P.Tripathi (NCP). Key UPA partner Mamata Banerjee was conspicuous by her absence.

Pranab Mukherjee (R) with PM Manmohan Singh (L) and Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

However, her absence was made up by the presence of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, BSP leaders Satish Mishra and Dara Singh Chauhan and Lalu Prasad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, whose parties extend outside support to the UPA government.

Much to the BJP’s embarrassment, two important NDA allies, Janata Dal (U) and the Shiv Sena, have also pledged support to Mukherjee though their representatives were not present when Mukherjee filed his papers. "It was a tactical absence to clear the misgivings that there is any cosying up to Congress or UPA by us," an Opposition leader said.

However, NDA convener and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav did append his signature on one of the four sets of nomination papers, signed by as many as 480 MPs, MLAs, chief ministers and Union ministers, which were submitted by Mukherjee.

Parliamentary affairs Minister PK Bansal, who is coordinating his election campaign, said given the support which is pouring in for Mukherjee, the election will be a one-sided affair.

Sangma, who proclaimed himself to be a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India, filed his papers in the afternoon in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and senior BJP leders, including L.K.Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj.