 Reiterating her party's support for the candidature of former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma for the Presidential polls, AIADMK supremo and Tamilnadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said she would be happy if other parties back his candidature to the top post. |
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In a brief chat with reporters before leaving for Kodanadu in Nilgiris district, Jayalalithaa said she had already expressed her party's support for Sangma one month back, to be precise on 17 May last month. 'There is no change in our party's stand', she said. Jayalalithaa said over the past one month various leaders were in touch with her from time to time on the issue of Presidential polls. She said some of the leaders tried to enlist her party's support for former President A P J Abdul Kalam's candidature. 'Now that Dr Kalam himself had made it clear that he will not contest, it is out of question now', she said and added that she would be happy if other parties extend their support to tribal leader Sangma. Asked whether she would seek the support of Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for Sangma's candidature, Jayalalithaa said Mamata had spoken to her and sought the AIADMK's support for Dr Kalam. 'At that time I told Ms Mamata that I had already announced my support for Sangma', Jayalalithaa said. When asked whether she would speak to Mamata again, she said, 'let us leave the decision to her'. Jayalalithaa, along with her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik were the first to back Sangma for the top job, saying no tribal candidate had so far been nominated for the post. BJP to back tribal leader for top post Within hours Tamilnadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa reiterated her support to former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma for Presidential polls and said other parties should support him, BJP announced its support to Sangma to pit him against UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee. The party argued that it was its duty as the main Opposition party not to allow a 'walkover' to Congress which did not 'consult' it. Announcing the decision at a press conference, BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley said the main opposition party could not support a government which is using 'various manoeuvres', including investigative agencies, to rope in parties to stay in power. 'BJP has decided to support the candidature' of Sangma, whose candidature has been proposed by AIADMK and BJD, Swaraj said. Describing Sangma as 'the country's tall leader' as also North East's 'tallest leader', she appealed to allies like Shiv Sena and JD-U to give up their opposition to his candidature. Swaraj and Jaitley regretted that BJP could not persuade its allies and have a consensus in the NDA over the issue but insisted that it would have no impact on the 'mature' coalition. To press her point, she noted that Shiv Sena had earlier also voted for UPA nominee Pratibha Patil during the last Presidential poll even though NDA had opposed her candidature but still remained part of the alliance. Swaraj and Jaitley said BJP was trying to bring Trinamool Congress on board but refused to reveal how it was being done. Meanwhile, Sangma has thanked the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal for their support to him in the Presidential poll. He also said he was hopeful of winning the election. When asked Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee would support him, Sangma said he had spoken to Mamata and was hopeful of getting her support. The Trinamool Congress sources, however, said they were still undecided on whether or not to support Sangma. Sangma also said that since the voting for the Presidential poll takes place through secret ballot, he was hopeful that the conscience of the voters would be in his favour. |
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