NEW DELHI: Though APJ Abdul Kalam ’s image as a political outsider made him a ‘People’s President ,’ the run up to his elevation witnessed power-games and shifting goalposts by the political classes who sponsored him. Kalam made it as the third serious choice after BJP’s first choice PC Alexander was ambushed by Congress and Opposition’s push to elevate vice-president Krishna Kant was stumped by BJP. More importantly, Kalam’s luck overcame RSS chief Rajju Bhaiyya’s failed bid to persuade then prime minister AB Vajpayee to move to Rashtrapati Bhawan.“When Atalji conveyed his preference for PC Alexander’s candidature, I readily agreed. So did many other Opposition parties. But Congress felt Alexander getting an extension as Governor during NDA regime was a sign of his ‘crossing over’. So the Congress opposed its candidature,” recalled NCP Chief Sharad Pawar Congress and many third front parties were rooting for Krishna Kanth , with BJP giving an impression of agreeing to back him, But behindthe-scene then RSS chief Rajendra Singh tried to make Vajpayee the President. In his autobiography, `My Country, My Life’ , LK Advani narrated what transpired at a breakfast meeting he had with then RSS chief.“I suggested to him (Vajpayee) ‘aap hi kyon nahi Rashtrapthi bante?’, Advani quoted ‘Rajju Bhaiya’ has having told him. When Advani asked what was Vajpayee’s response to his suggestion, Singh was quoted as saying, “Atalji appeared hesitant. He said neither yes , nor ‘no’. I, therefore, think he has not rejected my suggestion,” wrote Advani. However, Advani told Rajendra Singh that NDA constituents had already authorised Vajpayee to find a consensus candidate.And that search hit the bull’s eye when SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav dramatically proposed Kalam’s name, lapped up by BJP and NDA, knowing its potential to divide Opposition and mop up numbers. “I accompanied Netaji (Mulayam) when he first told HKS Surjeet about Kalam’s name. But Surjeet said no. Anyway Netaji soon made his proposal public and Atalji supported it,” said SP’s Ramgopal Yadav.Though Congress too suspected a secret Mulayam-BJP play, it agreed to back Kalam’s candidature, more out of compulsion. In the next two presidential polls too, Kalam’s candidature was floated and he kept the suspense alive till UPA and Left got a wild-card entry in Pratibha Patil in 2007 and veteran Pranab Mukherjee in 2012.