The UPA Presidential Candidate Finance minster Pranab Mukherjee will file his nomination on 28th of this month. Talking to All India Radio in New Delhi this evening, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal confirmed it. Nomination has begun from the 16th of this month and will close on the 30th. Mr.Bansal also rejected the charges of NDA Leaders that UPA had not consulted them before selecting its candidate.

Meanwhile, Left parties were today divided on their stand on Presidential election. CPI-M and Forward Bloc decided to support UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee while CPI and RSP will abstain from it.The four parties could not arrive at a consensus at an hour-long meeting in the national capital this evening attended by top leaders of the parties, including Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), A B Bardhan (CPI), T J Chandrachoodan (RSP) and Debabrata Biswas (FB).

CPIM Leader Prakash Karat said his party has decided to support the candidature of Mr.Mukherjee as in the present situation, he is the candidate for the post of President with the widest possible acceptance. The CPI-M leader said support to Mukherjee did not mean backing for Congress and that his party will resolutely fight the anti-people policies of UPA government.

Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said his party was not in favour of abstaining from the voting slated for July 19th for which the battle lines have been drawn between

Mukherjee and P A Sangma. RSP General Secretary T J Chandrachoodan said his party will abstain from the voting.