UPA's Presidential candidate, Pranab Mukherjee, is willing to meet Trinamool Congress leader,Mamata Banerjee,as and when she is ready.
Urging the Trinamool Congress to support his candidature, Mukherjee told the media, “I am ready to talk to her, as and when she is ready to talk to me. Since my candidature was announced, I had expressed my desire to have the support of the partner of UPA, Trinamool Congress. I understand. they have not yet taken their decision. They will take their decision at an appropriate time.”
Banerjee came out in public showing dissent against the candidature of Mukherjee for the July 19 polls, proposing three other candidates — APJ Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh and Somnath Chatterjee. During his campaign in the state, Mukherjee avoided meeting the TMC supremo, while he met with leaders from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Forward Bloc.
“My candidature was endorsed by various political parties like the JDU, Shiv Sena, CPM, Forward Bloc, BSP, SP, RJD, JDS and LJP, not as a UPA candidate but more as an individual. That is why I am visiting these states and meeting those parties and their members to officially thank them,” he said. Mukherjee has already visited states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Pondicherry, Gujarat and Rajastan and is scheduled to visit the remaining states in coming days. Distancing himself from further political questions Mukherjee said, “When I told you that I have no politics, I cannot brief on behalf of the government or any political parties.”
Highlighting the roles played by former Presidents, he added, “Starting from Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr Savepalli Radhakrishnan and Dr Zakir Hussain, all were servants of the constitution of India. Responsibility of the President is to preserve and protect the constitution. I will exactly discharge the duties assigned to the President in the constitution of India, If I get elected.”