Shillong, July 18: Consensus. Conscience. And The Audacity of Hope... These words have been dominating the 2012 presidential election as parliamentarians and legislators prepare to cast their vote tomorrow for Pranab Mukherjee or Purno Agitok Sangma to succeed President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

Though the odds are heavily stacked against him with some of the major NDA allies pledging their support to the UPA nominee, Sangma has been dreaming of emulating President V.V. Giri, who got elected in 1969 by defeating the government-sponsored candidate, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.

In the run up to the polls, Sangma had also compared himself to US president Barack Obama — the first African-American to occupy the White House.

And perhaps, as he toured the different corners of the country to garner support for his candidature, Sangma must have reminded himself of what President Obama had said while addressing the Democratic National Convention at Boston, Massachusetts in 2004: “Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!”

Sangma had also been maintaining that he has never lost any election in his long political career.

Indeed, from 1977 till 2008, the former Lok Sabha Speaker has never lost any election either from the Tura parliamentary seat or from the Tura Assembly constituency.

But tomorrow’s presidential poll is a different ball game altogether, though Sangma has undoubtedly brought in an element of excitement to the otherwise mundane affair.

The voters are from far and wide, of different hues. Not all are “tribals”. And the country does not want to see a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The nation wants an “Indian” to be the head of state.

In his home state, Meghalaya, opinion on Sangma is divided. The United Democratic Party and the Hill State People’s Democratic Party, both constituents of the Congress-led government, have pledged their support to the former Lok Sabha Speaker.

The state unit of the NCP, which has three of Sangma’s offsprings among its ranks, has not spelt out its stand on whether it will support its former leader.

James and Conrad — both legislators from Garo Hills — and Agatha, the incumbent Tura MP, are still with the NCP though their father left the party to contest the presidential poll.

But it is evident where the loyalty of the state NCP lies even though party supremo Sharad Pawar is supporting Mukherjee.

As the stage is set for voting in different corners of the country, including New Delhi, it would not be out of place to state that only a “miracle” can take Sangma to Raisina Hill.

In Assam, Congress observer Pratap Bhanu Sharma and AICC secretary in-charge of Assam J. Jena called on the Opposition AIUDF to “thank and congratulate” them for supporting Mukherjee, who enjoys the support of 116 of the 126 Assam MLAs.

Parliamentary secretary Bhupen Borah said the AIUDF had offered “unconditional support” while the party’s deputy leader, A.R. Mazarbhuyan, said they had requested Sharma to ask Dispur to cooperate with their MLAs in their development work.

Arunachal PCC general secretary T.C. Tok said the UPA candidate was assured of 57 votes from the 60-member house, besides the three MPs. “Of the 57, two may not vote because of legal complications and ill health,” he said.

In Manipur, Sangma may not win a single vote from the 60 MLAs despite a strong campaign by BJP central leaders. “We do not expect much votes in favour of Sangma in Manipur,” BJP media in-charge L. Bashanta Sharma said.

Mukherjee may have a clean sweep in Nagaland, which has 60 MLAs, while in Mizoram, he is assured of 32 votes and 57 of the 60 votes in the Assembly in Left-ruled Tripura.