Khargram (West Bengal): Amid growing support for him as UPA’s presidential candidate, Pranab Mukherjee today preferred to remain tightlipped on the issue as party’s influential MP Adhir Chowdhury remarked that they would like to see him return as the country’s President.
“We hope that he (Mukherjee) will be back here as the president of the country,” Chowdhury told a Congress workers’ meeting here, which was presided by Mukherjee.
Mukherjee, however, evaded the issue and said “I have to cut short my stay and leave for Delhi today evening as I have important meetings to attend there.” Mukherjee’s possible candidature has infact been the refrain in party programmes during his two-day visit since yesterday to Murshidabad, whose Jangipur constituency is represented by him.
He had said in Kolkata yesterday that no one could become president on his own wish. “It is decided by the party. Party nominates. No one can become president on his own wish.” Janardan Dwivedi, head of the Congress media department and general secretary said in Delhi yesterday that no name had been finalised yet and the process of discussions with the allies and supporting allies is on.
‘NCP would back UPA candidate’
Sharad Pawar-led NCP today said it would support the UPA candidate in the forthcoming Presidential election.
“NCP would back the UPA candidate…the final decision would be taken by Sharad Pawar on this,” said Baramati MP and Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule here this afternoon.
When asked about the possible candidature of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Sule said, “He is a very senior leader…I am not eligible to comment on him.”
Sule was talking to reporters after the launch of NCP’s `Rashtravadi Yuvati Congress’, a new wing for young women.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) Central Committee today authorised its Polit Bureau to formulate the party’s strategy on Presidential polls after discussing with other Left and like-minded secular parties. This was decided at the two-day meeting of the party’s Central Committee, which ended here today. Party sources said that Central Committee has authorised the Polit Bureau to formulate its strategy.
The CPI(M) and other Left parties have so far refused to spell out their preference and have been asking the UPA government to come up with a candidate having “widest possible acceptance” for the Presidential elections. While Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee appears to have become the front runner for the presidential candidate, the sources said some sections in the party have reservation about supporting a Congress candidate for the post of President. (PTI)