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Politburo member of Communist party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Sitaram Yechury on Thursday said his party would back Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for the post of the president of the country. Talking to reporters outside Parliament here, Yechury stressed on the need to develop a consensus on the issue. "The Left has always said very clearly that between the two (Hamid Ansari and Pranab Mukherjee), even the arrows are put down for these two names, then between the two, let us see between whom there is a consensus. That is the best approach. So, therefore, as far as Hamid Ansari is concerned, the Left proposed his name for the vice-president last time. As far as Pranab Mukherjee is concerned, last time also his name was doing the rounds and the Left said that they had no issue. So, this time also the Left is meeting tomorrow. We will take a decision but this is the record of the Left what they have done in the past, on the basis of which people can easily judge," said Yechury. The dilemma over the nomination of the next president continues, as political parties remain divided over developing a consensus on the candidate for the coveted position. There have been certain rumours that the Congress party has been trying to reach out to ally partners to have a consensus on Vice President Hamid Ansari or Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for the prestigious post. However, the Congress Party remains tight-lipped on the issue. Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), D P Tripathi, said the party is trying to develop consensus on the name of the candidate to be selected as the new president of the country. "We told you earlier that this is the election for the highest constitutional position in the country and therefore we do not make often comments on this and our party's position is that we try and built the broadest possible consensus in this direction," said Tripathi. Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mohan Singh said that his party is yet to take a decision as to whom they would support for the post of the president. "I will answer the question at the correct time as there is a lot of time left for the presidential polls to take place and our party is yet to take a decision on this issue," said Singh. The five-year term of current President Pratibha Devisingh Patil ends on July 25, 2012. The president is the head of state and the supreme commander of the armed forces.

CPI-M backs Mukherjee for post of President