Lobbying has already started for the country’s next president, even though current President Pranab Mukherjee is due to retire only in 2017. Vice President Hamid Ansari is also set to retire in 2017. Sources say that BJP’s veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani met with Sangh’s top leader Mohan Bhagwat about a fortnight ago, and presented his case before him. Advani wanted that Bhagwat himself present Advani’s nomination as the next president to Narendra Modi and influence him for the same. Sources say that Advani stressed upon the point that if the NDA supports him as the presidential candidate, several non-NDA parties might also come in front to support him. It is believed that Advani especially mentioned the names of Nitish Kumar from JD (U), Lalu yadav of RJD, BJD’s Naveen Patnaik, Jayalalithaa from AIDMK regarding this. But sources say Bhagwat advised Advani to keep quiet about it at the moment, and said that he will first try to see what Modi really thinks about it, and will then talk about Advani’s name. After Bhagwat’s advice, Advani has kept mum about it.