Congress today ruled out Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's name as a Presidential Candidate. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Party General Secretary and Chief Media spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi said that at the beginning of UPA – 2 , party had announced that Dr. Singh will be the Prime Minister till 2014.
Mr. Dwivedi rejected the other two names suggested by Trinamool Congress Chief Ms. Mamta Benerjee and Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. He said as a UPA Chairperson it is the duty of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi to consult its allies whether they are small or big political parties. He said after first round of talks with allies the names of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari emerged. He catagorically said that no name is finalized so far.
Earlier, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today met senior party leaders at her residence in New Delhi to discuss the name of Presidential candidate. She is also holding discussions with UPA allies on the issue. Senior party leaders who met Mrs Gandhi include Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A K Antony and Home Minister P Chidambaram.
Talking to reporters after meeting with Mrs Gandhi, DMK leader T R Balu said that his party leader M Karunanidhi has already conveyed DMK's choice for the next presidential candidate.
He said Mrs Gandhi may announce the name soon.
Yesterday, Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Benerjee met Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on the Presidential candidate issue. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Ms. Banerjee said that she had a detailed discussion on the issue with Mrs. Gandhi. She said that Mrs. Gandhi had proposed the names of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari.
After meeting with Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ms. Banerjee said that both parties have agreed on the names of former President APJ Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee for the post of next President.
