India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Leaders of various political outfits on Tuesday gave a mixed response to former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma's candidature for the post of President of India, saying they had not yet taken a final call on it. "Till now, our party did not have a meeting on this issue, neither did we hold any discussion on it. I had a talk with Jayalaithaaji, but what exactly transpired during the talks I would not disclose it to you," said Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary Sudhakar Reddy said that his party would take a decision in this regard in the first week of June. "About the Presidential elections, we feel the situation still continues to be very fluid. No proposals from the ruling party, no proposals from the principal opposition party. And Naveen Patnaik and Jayalalithaa have made a proposal now. So, we will discuss about all these things," said Reddy. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa has stepped up campaigning for Sangma, and asked the various political parties to back his candidature for the top post. Jayalalithaa has made an appeal to all parties to rise above political differences and back a leader from the tribal community for the highest office. According to reports, she has so far spoken to BJP leader LK Advani, CPM leader Prakash Karat, CPI leader AB Bardhan, TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav asking them to support the candidature of Sangma. The dilemma over the nomination of president continues with political parties remaining divided over a suitable candidate's name. There have been reports that the Congress is reaching out to allies to arrive at a consensus on Vice President Hamid Ansari or Pranab Mukherjee for the coveted post. President Pratibha Devisingh Patil's term ends on July 25 this year.

Leaders undecided over Sangma's candidature for President