Race for presidential post
New Delhi: Chief Ministers Naveen Patnaik of Orissa and J Jayalalithaa of Tamil Nadu on Thursday backed former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Sangma for the presidency, giving a new twist to an election in which the Congress and the BJP have not revealed their cards.
Sangma’s pitch for a tribal candidate found support first from Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Patnaik and AIADMK’s Jayalalithaa, in a move which could see more regional leaders join hands with the two.
Sangma is, however, yet to get the support of his own Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
NCP spokesperson DP Tripathi said Sangma had not approached the NCP. “As a UPA ally, we understand our boundaries,” Tripathi told IANS.
The Congress did not react on Thursday to the BJD-AIADMK move. (IANS)
