Swaraj dismisses 'rumours' on her candidature for president poll

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday dismissed reports as "rumours" that she was in the run for the presidential election.

News reports had indicated that there was a buzz for Swaraj's name among the probable to fight the July 17 poll for the post of the President with Pranab Mukherjee retiring on July 24. A section of RSS functionaries was reportedly not averse to her name provided BJP top leadership agreed to that proposition. "These are rumours.

I am an External Affairs Minister and you are asking me something which is an internal matter," she told reporters on queries that were she a contender for the constitutional post.

The party is expected to come up with the name of NDA nominee early next week which would be before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington for meeting with US President Donald Trump on July 24. The last date for filing the nomination is June 28 and the results would be declared on July 20.