Hectic parleys are on among various political parties to finalize their candidate for the Presidential poll. UPA partners are meeting in New Delhi today to discuss the issue.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi held consultations with leaders of her party and UPA allies on the Presidential candidate yesterday also. The Congress ruled out Prime Minister 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, the 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 Mamata Benerjee and Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. He said, after the first round of talks with allies, the names of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari have emerged. He catagorically said that no name is finalized so far.
Congress leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said, party chief Sonia Gandhi is still working towards evolving a consensus over the name of UPA's Presidential candidate.
She said, disclosing three names including that of the Prime Minister of India, is something which does not make any political or ethical sense.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the UPA will soon decide the candidate.
On the other hand, the NDA partners are also meeting today to discuss their stand on the Presidential candidate. Making BJP's first move to reach out to non-NDA parties on the Presidential poll, party leader L K Advani discussed the issue with AIADMK chief Jayalalitha in Chennai yesterday.
CPI leader A.B. Bardhan refrained from naming anyone as the Presidential candidate. He said the left parties will be meeting on the 21st to decide on it.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee strongly pitched for A P J Abdul Kalam’s candidature for the post of President. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi before meeting SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, she said, Dr. Kalam will be the best candidate.
