With Pratiba Patil's term in the President's office ending in July, all the political parties have their own preferences in selecting candidates for the top post.
Opposition political parties have engaged in a hot pursuit with the government as they try to push their choice for the President's post.
Meanwhile, the Congress-led UPA government is relentlessly holding meetings and reaching out personally to its allies to seek their consensus on the candidate.
In one such attempt, Congress leader and Defence Minister AK Antony Sunday met DMK chief and former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M Karunanidhi, to figure out a suitable candidate for the top post.
The Congress can't put its candidate on the President's chair without the support of the DMK and Tirnamool Congress, key allies in the UPA.
The National Congress Party (NCP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) want an apolitical candidate for the post this time and conveyed their choices as well.
The BJP is recommending former president A P J Abdul Kalam and NCP batting for former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma.
Media reports said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had met Union Agricultural Minister and NCP chief Shard Pawar in reaching a consensus about the next President.
The Congress is backing current Vice-President Hamid Ansari for the top post. However, now it's apparently showing interest in NCP's choice, Sangma, while being reluctant about Kalam.
Kalam was elected during the NDA rule from 2002 to 2007 and did not run for a second term despite being a choice of some political parties as he noticed lack of proper consensus.
Kalam took an evasive stand Sunday when queried on his interest for contesting the presidential elections for the second time.
While speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Kalam said, "Let us wait for some time. After some time, you ask me."
