PRESIDENTIAL SWEEpSTAKES

The last date for nominations for the President of India is 28 June, but the government is expected to announce its candidature any time this week. According to sources, the candidate will be from the BJP itself and an outsider like Amitabh Bachchan or Lata Mangeshkar. Four names seem to have been shortlisted—Sumitra Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj, Thawarchand Gehlot and Draupadi Murmu. Of these, the RSS is pushing for Swaraj but Modi-Shah are not quite sure if they can trust the former Advani loyalist completely. Sources in the party also talk of a fallout between the PM and the Speaker over the way she has been conducting the Lok Sabha. This leaves the other two non-controversial names, but not political heavyweights. And since the PM is not used to making simply symbolic announcements, no one is ruling out a last minute surprise. Sources say that Shah has also got his war room ready, deputing his strategists like Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal to round up the numbers once the name is announced.