Congress, allies woo Mamata on presidential poll
4 May 2012 3:52 AM GMT
In yet another day of hectic developments in the race to presidential election, the Trinamool Congress added its bit to the suspense. The party chief Mamata Banerjee come to New Delhi to meet the United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. After the crucial meet, both leaders chose to keep mum about their respective choices for the president’s post. Banerjee will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today.
Gandhi choose to keep her cards close to the chest. After the meeting, she maintained that there were no new names added, while everyone must be patient till a final decision was taken. She said, ‘There is still time.’
The Congress sources revealed that they were ‘hoping for the support of the TMC’. After Banerjee arrived in Delhi, the urban development minister Kamal Nath met her, after which he told the media, ‘I’m sure when Mamata meets the prime minister and Sonia Gandhi, there will be convergence.’
Banerjee also met the external affairs minister S M Krishna on the Teesta River water sharing deal with Bangladesh. As per sources, it is clearly evident that Banerjee does not favour A P J Abdul Kalam’s candidature for the post. But, she is fine with the names proposed by the Congress – Pranab Mukherjee or Hamid Ansari – the sources added.
The sources indicate that the Congress is essentially quiet on Mukherjee as president. A sizable chunk feels that he should be the candidate as he would be able to get his own votes.    Â
Gandhi choose to keep her cards close to the chest. After the meeting, she maintained that there were no new names added, while everyone must be patient till a final decision was taken. She said, ‘There is still time.’
The Congress sources revealed that they were ‘hoping for the support of the TMC’. After Banerjee arrived in Delhi, the urban development minister Kamal Nath met her, after which he told the media, ‘I’m sure when Mamata meets the prime minister and Sonia Gandhi, there will be convergence.’
Banerjee also met the external affairs minister S M Krishna on the Teesta River water sharing deal with Bangladesh. As per sources, it is clearly evident that Banerjee does not favour A P J Abdul Kalam’s candidature for the post. But, she is fine with the names proposed by the Congress – Pranab Mukherjee or Hamid Ansari – the sources added.
The sources indicate that the Congress is essentially quiet on Mukherjee as president. A sizable chunk feels that he should be the candidate as he would be able to get his own votes.    Â
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