Mulayam keeps option open on presidential nominee

New Delhi,May22(IANS)SamajwadiPartychiefMulayamSinghYadavTuesdaykepthisoptionsopenonthenamesdoingtheroundsaspossiblenomineesoftheCongressbutindicatedhewouldbecomfortablewithcandidatureofVicePresidentHamidAnsariashebelongstoUttarPradesh.

InaninformalinteractionwithmediapersonsatthedinnerhostedbyPrimeMinisterManmohanSinghtomarkthirdanniversaryofUnitedProgressiveAlliance-IIgovernment,MulayamSinghrepeatedhisdemandthatthepostofpresidentshouldgotoapolitician.

AskedifheconsideredAnsaritobeapolitician,hesaidthathe(Ansari)belongedtohis'favourite'districtofUttarPradesh.Ansari'sfamilybelongstoGhazipurdistrictineasternpartsofthestate.

'Peoplefromhisfamilyarepolitical,'theSamajwadiPartychiefsaid.

later,askedbyIANSabouthisstanceonFinanceMinisterPranabMukherji,whoistheothernamedoingroundsasprobablepresidentialcandidateofCongress,MulayamSinghgaveacrypticreply.

'Whattosay.Justguessit,'hesaid.

TheprimeministerandCongresspresidentSoniaGandhi,however,didnotansweranyquestionrelatedtopresidentialpolls.

'Can'tsayanythingnow,'GandhisaidtoaqueryifMukherjeecouldbesparedofhisresponsibilitesinthegovernment.

ManmohanSinghtoopariedaquestiononpresidentialpolls.

NationalistCongresschiefSharadPawar,however,saidUPAseemedinchingclosetothenumbersinthepresidentialrace.

'Iheardit(numbers)isnotproblem.Ibelievethem,'hesaid.

PawarsaidhehadsuggestedtoGandhithatnamescouldbediscussedaftertheUPAmustersnumbers.

HesaidhehadnotdiscussednameswithGandhisofar.

AskedabouthisreactiontopossibilityofpartyleaderP.A.Sangmacontestingpresidentialelection,PawarsaidNCPwoulddecideabouthiscontinuanceifhefilesnominations.

PawarsaidSangma'sdemandforsupporttoatribalcandidatewillbedecidedbytheparty.

--Indo-AsianNewsService

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