New Delhi, June 19 (MNS/ANI): Despite P.A. Sangma remaining defiant over contesting the presidential poll as a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader D.P. Tripathi on Tuesday expressed confidence about the former Lok Sabha speaker supporting UPA nominee and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for the post of President of India.
Tripathi, who met Mukherjee here, said it was a courtesy visit.
“This is a courtesy visit. We are allies. I am an NCP leader and voter of Pranab Mukherjee. So, it is my duty to meet him,” said Tripathi. With contrasting stands among its allies on the presidential election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be in a fix.
Shiv Sena, a part of the BJP-led opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has already publicly said it would support Pranab Mukherjee, the Congress-led ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate for the highest office in the country.
After the BJP’s core committee meeting Monday decided that contesting the poll was necessary, the party was put in a tight spot by the Shiv Sena, which not only favoured Mukherjee but urged other political aprties too to back the finance minister.
This is a second time the Shiv Sena has ditched the BJP. In the last presidential poll too, it had supported UPA candidate Pratibha Patil.
Another major ally, Janata Dal-United is also reportedly not in favour of putting up a candidate against Mukherjee.
In another setback to the BJP, sources said former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has affirmed support to Mukherjee. However, an official declaration on his stand is yet to come from Yeddyurappa.
The BJP, which is yet to decide on a presidential candidate, is sticking to its stand of not letting Mukherjee win uncontested.
“That is the general sense that we must have a candidate against Mukherjee, even if it is only symbolic.
The leader, however, refused to comment on the possibility of the BJP going alone against its allies.
The party had Monday night refused to talk to the press after the core committee meeting. It only said that a final decision would be taken after a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders, a date for which has not yet been fixed.
During the meeting, the party had reportedly discussed backing Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Lok Sabha speaker P Sangma.
Sources in the BJP say the NDA meeting will take place this week, followed by another meeting of the party’s core committee.
“As far as Sangma is concerned, he is a senior leader of our party. The meeting of our party is scheduled to take place on 21st (June 21). Even Sangma will be attending that and I have full confidence that he will support UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee,” he added.
When asked if Sangma would not fall within the party line and decide to contest against Mukherjee, Tripathi said: “Sangma is our very senior and respectable leader. Politics is not based on speculation. The meeting of our party will be held on 21st (June 21) and after that we will let you know the party’s strategy.”
Sangma had earlier on Sunday reiterated that he was still in the fray for the presidential poll as a tribal candidate, and said that he would appeal to his party boss Sharad Pawar to back him in the race for Raisina Hill.
“I have maintained right from the beginning that I am a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India, which is nothing to do with any political party. I am a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India.
And, as a candidate of the Tribal Forum of India, I have gone across to all political parties appealing for support. This is the position. Therefore, it is very clear that I am not an NCP candidate,” said Sangma.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ncp-confident-of-sangma-supporting-pranab-bjp-undecided/
