Sonia Gandhi will select presidential candidate: Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi, June 4 (ANI): Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said Congress President Sonia Gandhi will select the candidate for the post of President of India.

"Congress President is to select the candidate. Neither me nor anybody else. She shall select. And here you have to keep one thing in mind that we will select our party's candidate because we are the largest party. We are the single largest party in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha," said Mukherjee, who is himself considered the front-runner in the race for the President's post.

"And Parliament members taken together have the vote value of half of the electorate. Therefore, the Congress Party has a role, but at the same time the leader of UPA will consider all the aspects," he added.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), which met here on Monday, authorised party President Sonia Gandhi to decide on the candidates for the coming Presidential and Vice Presidential elections.

According to reports, the resolution, authorising her, was moved by Pranab Mukherjee.

The dilemma over the nomination of president continues with political parties remaining divided over a suitable candidate's name.

There have been reports that the Congress is reaching out to allies to arrive at a consensus on Vice President Hamid Ansari or Pranab Mukherjee for the coveted post.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil's term ends on July 25 this year. (ANI)