Patil in Delhi. (PTI)

New Delhi, June 9: Shivraj Patil, the UPA’s likely candidate for President, is counting on “extra” votes and faith to see him through to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Patil is a devotee of Puttaparthi’s Sathya Sai Baba whose “miraculous” powers are said to be based on the principle that if you will anything, you can create it.

Sai Baba is apolitical but counts politicians cutting across party lines among his followers. The home minister’s devotion to him is total, sources say. “Patil believes that Sai Baba visits and blesses his house every day,” a source said.

In an interview, Patil had recalled: “Baba helped me preside over the Lok Sabha for five years (1991-96). Whenever the House would get unruly, I would shut my eyes and think of Baba so that I did not lose my cool. Such thoughts of Baba would inevitably lead the House to order.”

Congress leaders close to Patil share his faith and are counting on surprises in the run-up to the elections. One section believes some non-UPA parties might declare their support for Patil, making the contest “one-sided”.

While there are no indications so far of Patil getting these “extra” votes, all eyes are on former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda who is to hold a news conference in Bangalore tomorrow. His Janata Dal (S) is running a coalition government with the BJP in Karnataka but his party is not part of the BJP-led NDA.

If Gowda decides to back the UPA nominee, he would add to its present figure of 5,32,000 votes against the combined strength of 5,11,000 votes of the NDA, the Samajwadi Party and others.

The Patil camp is also banking on some regional outfits in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Around 30,000 votes belonging to some 78 small parties and individuals are not committed to either the UPA or the NDA so far.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will join the talks after his return from the G8 summit in Germany. Sources said Manmohan will speak to Mayavati, who will be in Delhi on Sunday and Monday, and to some non-UPA parties like the Telugu Desam, National Conference and the Dal (S).

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who will be back in Delhi on June 12, is to hold the final round of talks with UPA constituents and other important leaders. She will simultaneously conduct talks for the vice-presidential nominee.

An NCP minister has made it clear his party will support Patil if the Congress proposes his name. Sources said Sharad Pawar’s party would be expecting some “goodwill” — such as an NCP nominee being made governor — in return.

CM meets Pranab

Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today met Pranab Mukherjee, the UPA’s chief negotiator for the presidential polls, in Calcutta.

The foreign minister, however, said they did not discuss the elections. “Buddhababu came to discuss the problem arising out of Mechhi (Bhutan) refugees and requested me to see to it that their influx into Bengal is prevented,” Mukherjee said.