Rejects reports of his striking a “deal” with UPA government
Indicating that a consensus should be evolved among political parties on Pranab Mukherjee as the next President, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh has said that he wanted the President to be elected unopposed.
Addressing party workers at the SP headquarters here on Saturday, Mr. Singh defended his decision to support the candidature of the Finance Minister and described him as a “capable, secular and learned leader.”
Mr. Singh said the office of the President was a Constitutional post and the incumbent did not belong to any party.
He rejected reports of his striking a “deal” with the UPA government. The Samajwadi Party's decision was announced by general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav in Delhi on Friday, shortly after Mr. Mukherjee's name was officially announced by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
When the party's decision was being announced by Mr. Yadav, Mr. Singh was on a personal visit to Agra and returned to Lucknow late on Friday evening.
Mr. Singh's decision to support the UPA candidate took political analysts by surprise as the SP chief in the company of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee floated the names of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Somnath Chatterjee, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday.
Setting the record straight, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister told reporters that the three names were “suggested” only when it appeared that the Congress was diffident on naming Mr. Mukherjee as the presidential candidate. Mr. Singh said he had met Ms. Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday evening.
Mr. Singh's arch political rival and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Friday slammed him for his “flip-flop” after suggesting three names and then within 48 hours deciding to support the UPA candidate. Ms. Mayawati alleged that securing an economic package for the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh could be a reason for Mr. Singh's decision to support Mr. Mukherjee.
Keywords: Presidential polls, Pranab Mukherjee, Samajwadi Party, Mulayam Singh Yadav, consensus candidate
Mulayam is a big joker and he thinks that he is very clever. He is a cheater and will be cheated by someone in some other day. For every action there is an equivalent reaction.
The candidate under discussion is from congress party and still serving it, served the congress governments, did not pursue the black money and certainly not a NATIONAL asset as described by MULAYAM, he has been cleverly made a candidate for the presidency to clear the decks for the Rahul as PM after the Non functional never elected for any post as PM. Above all the candidate is very young just 77 years where as plus 60% of Indian are around 30 years. Why not have a direct election by the people of India!!!!, if necessary change or dump the present constitution which permits all corrupt politics.
For once, Mulayam has done the right thing, and supported Pranab. True to form, the cussed Hindu will always try to find fault with everything! It is amusing that even the friends of the Hindu newspaper, namely the Left is about to offer support to Pranab as Presidential nominee. Perhaps only then will this Tamil Marxist Dravidian rag see the light. In the meantime may the Hindu kindly change its name to the 'Destitute Dravidian.' Notwithstanding that even the DMK and Karunanidhi who support Pranab may take offense to the new name, at least with such a catchy title, the once-newspaper- now-tabloid can be hoped to increase its daily sales and not be a market laggard scorned and reviled for it shoddy standards of journalism.
Dear Mulayamji, everyone know your support for the UPA candidate in the Presidential election is a quid pro quo for withdrawing CBI cases against you. Mayavathi also doing the same thing.This is an indication to the public that Congress is using CBI to force all corrupts to join hand with them. Thus they can be in the power after the next general election. Only God can save people of India.
Please Email the Editor