Pranab denies PM discussed Presidential poll with him

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee beamed while declaring that he had no idea how speculation that he could be considered as the Congress candidate for the presidential elections due in July had started.

Mukherjee, clearly not upset with the speculation, continued to deny that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had ever discussed this issue with him.

"Why are you using race track terminology like front-runner, back-runner, also-ran and dark horse," he said with a smile.

"All I know of the entire matter is that the PM and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will be meeting all political allies to ascertain their views on how to proceed on the matter," he said. "He (the PM) has not spoken to me," he added.

When asked whether he was averse to the idea of being President of India, he refused to comment. "What is there to react," he said. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO), meanwhile, denied that specific names had been mentioned in connection with the presidential polls, during meetings held between the PM and the government's Left allies.

"The PM held some exploratory meetings on the presidential elections, but no specific names had been mentioned during these meetings, that is purely speculative," said PM's media advisor Sanjaya Baru.

Even CPI's A B Bardhan, one of the Left leaders with whom the PM met last week over the issue, had to issue a denial over specific names. Senior Congressmen, however, feel that now that Mukherjee's name has entered the public domain, he has become a contender.

"His name is now out there and will be considered by other political parties. He is most eligible for the post," said a senior minister.

Other contenders include Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Chairman Karan Singh.