|
Calcutta, Jul 17 (PTI) : The Trinamul Congress on Tuesday announced its decision to vote for United Progressive Alliance's presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee 'in the interest of coalition'.
After proposing the name of A P J Abdul Kalam and two others a month ago creating a near crisis for the UPA government, Trinamul chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee disclosed on Tuesday the party's decision saying it had no other option and that it was not to support any individual.
The decision of the party, the second largest constituent in the UPA with 19 members in the Lok Sabha and nine in Rajya Sabha, comes apparently under pressure from within the party to back Mukherjee, who would be the first Bengali to become a President, and not to ignore local sentiments.
”We have taken the decision with pain and not from our heart. We have taken the decision without any provocation or financial deal,” Mamata told the media after a meeting of party leaders.
She made a bare reference to the Bengali origins of the UPA candidate saying “Pranabda is from Bengal but we have taken the decision due to our commitment to the people”.
The Trinamul decision was immediately welcomed by the Congress party in Delhi and by Mukherjee's son Abhijit, an MLA in West Bengal.
With Trinamul's decision, Mukherjee has the support of nearly 7 lakh vote value in an electoral college of nearly 11 lakh. Apart from UPA partners, he also has the support of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Forward Bloc and Bharatiya Janata Party allies Janata Dal(United) and Shiv Sena.
Mamata was virtually cornered in the UPA after she was ditched by Samajwadi Party last month when she and Mulayam Singh sponsored the name of former President Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former West Bengal Governor Rajmohan Gandhi.
Asked why her party has chosen to support Mukherjee with whom she has blown hot and cold in the recent past, Mamata said “We took the decision in the interest of the UPA coalition and in greater national interest and keeping in mind the people's interests.
“We are not supporting any individual. But we have no option. It is a tough decision we have taken but not to please anyone. We took the decision reluctantly. The pleasure we would have got is missing in our decision today.”
She said, “If we had abstained from voting it would have been a plus for Pranab Mukherjee. If we vote, then also it would be a plus for him. We had no no other option.”
Asked about her party's stand on the vice-presidential election in which incumbent Hamid Ansari has been named the UPA nominee and BJP leader Jaswant Singh the NDA candidate, Banerjee said “the party will decide later.
”Vice-President, we will decide later. We are not contesting,” she said.
Mamata said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh contacted her over phone and requested for her party's support for Ansari.
|
