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BJP pulls up Congress over Presidential candidate selection | Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar
Prasad on Monday took potshots at the Congress Party over the candidate for the
presidential post, saying if the ruling party attempts to make a pure Congressman
the President then neither the nation nor the politics of the country is prepared
for it. "The Congress will have to understand one thing that if at the present
political scenario they try to make a pure Congressman the President then neither
the country is prepared for it nor the politics of the country," said Prasad.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to put up its own candidate for the election,
and according to reports may support nuclear scientist APJ Abdul Kalam, who had
earlier served as the 11th President of India from July 25, 2002 to July 24, 2007.
The Congress is reportedly backing the candidature of Vice President Hamid Ansari
or Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, however,
earlier today dismissed media reports, which claimed that he is being considered
for the coveted post of the President. "Don't indulge in speculations," he told
the media here. Meanwhile, Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary
Affairs, Rajiv Shukla, also refused to divulge any information on the issue, and
said that it was an 'internal' matter of the Congress Party. "I can't tell you
anything about it. These are our internal matters and we are discussing it among
ourselves. There is no question of divulging it to the media," said Shukla. Congress
leader Jagdambika Pal also echoed similar sentiments, and urged the political
parties to arrive at consensus on this issue. "He (Pranab Mukherjee) is a great
personality, but I think the government will take the opinion of all the political
parties and would not take a final decision until a consensus is reached because
this a constitutional head's post and he or she will represent the constitution
of the country. I think the Congress party is working towards it," said Pal. Defence
Minister A.K. Antony met Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi
at his residence in Chennai yesterday to build a consensus for the Congress-led
UPA Government's candidate for the presidential election. The Congress had earlier
held talks with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.
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