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DMK leader joins top level Congress huddle at 10 Janpath | DMK leader T.R. Baalu on Thursday joined senior Congress
leaders in a meeting with UPA chief Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence,
a day after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Trinamool Congress
chief Mamata Banerjee joining hands to reject the candidature of Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee as president. Talking to reporters after meeting Gandhi, Baalu
said his leader Karunanidhi has also suggested a name for president, but declined
to reveal who it was. "I cannot reveal the name just yet as it is a matter between
these two leaders," he said. Baalu also said that Sonia Gandhi was likely to announce
the UPA presidential candidate this week. Gandhi also met Mukherjee and Defence
Minister A.K. Antony at her official residence. The Congress Core Committee is
expected to meet this evening to take a final call on who will be the party's
presidential candidate. Banerjee and Mulayam have announced the names of Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and former Lok Sabha
speaker Somnath Chatterjee as their preferred choices for the July 19 presidential
poll. "Our first choice for president is APJ Abdul Kalam, the second choice is
PM Manmohan Singh and third choice is Somnath Chatterjee," said Mulayam after
meeting Mamata. The latest developments appear to be a major blow for the ruling
Congress Party, as both Mamata and Mulayam have rejected the names of Mukherjee
and Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari. Mamata, who met Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday,
remains non-committal over the UPA chairperson's suggestion, saying she would
revert on the issue after discussing it with her Trinamool Congress colleagues.
"I had a detailed discussion with her. Sonia Gandhi told that Pranab Mukherjee
is first choice for President and the second choice is (Vice-President) Hamid
Ansari," she told media. Banerjee also said that she had told Gandhi that she
would go back and discuss with her Trinamool Congress colleagues and revert on
the issue. Trinamool Congress, with 19 members in the Lok Sabha, is the largest
constituent of UPA after the Congress. On the other hand, the Samajwadi Party,
which has 22 members in the Lok Sabha, is an outside supporter of the ruling alliance.
A fresh round of consultations on the issue of selection of a presidential nominee
is taking place in the UPA, after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) authorised
Gandhi to decide on the candidates for the coming presidential and vice presidential
elections. Gandhi has so far held discussions with DMK chief Karunanidhi, NCP
leader Sharad Pawar and RLD chief Ajit Singh on the presidential candidate.
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