Pranab emerging frontrunner

Sonia to name presidential nominee before PM leaves for G-20 summit

Pranab Mukherjee’s chances of getting Congress nomination for the post of president is  getting stronger even as the party has so far been non-committal. The party has asked UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to take the final call.

"The process of discussions with our allies is on. No name has so far been finalised." Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said here on Saturday.

He, however, refused to take any questions. Gandhi may announce the name of the UPA candidate for the post of president next week before the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leaves for the G-20 summit on June 16, according the sources.

The Congress is learnt to have secured support of its allies the DMK, NCP and RLD in favour of Mukherjee. 

On May 5, DMK supremo M Karunanidhi said he has no objection if Mukherjee is chosen as UPA's presidential candidate. The Samajwadi Party, which has said that they will favour a politician for the post, is also believed to have communicated to the Congress top brass that it will support the candidature of Mukherjee.

Trinamool’s support

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who had reservations over the candidature of Mukherjee, is too expected to follow the Congress line if the party announces his name. 

It is hoped that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has given its support to the UPA from outside, will not reject the UPA’s candidate once the Congress announces the name.Gandhi had held consultations with senior party leader and Defence Minister A K Antony and DMK leaders T R Baalu and M K Stalin on the presidential candidate on Thursday. Later on Friday evening, her political adviser Ahmed Patel held an hour-long meeting with Mukherjee. 

On Tuesday, the Congress president held a meeting with Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, who later said Mukherjee was qualified for the President’s post. Meanwhile in Kolkata, Mukherjee said no one can become President merely "on his own wish" and the party would decide on the issue. As of now, former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma is the lone candidate for the presidential poll declared by the AIADMK and BJD.  Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has proposed the name of Sangma for the top post after consulting AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jaylalithaa.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not declared any NDA candidate for the Presidential polls. Sangma met senior BJP leader LK Advani on Friday seeking his party's support for his candidature. The EC, which has already begun the preparations, is likely to announce the schedule for the Presidential elections next week. The term of the incumbent President Pratibha Patil is set to expire on July 24.