UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee today met members of the ruling National Conference—Congress coalition and opposition PDP to drum up support for his bid to enter the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Mr Mukherjee, who was received by Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Saifuddin Soz at the airport, met the joint legislature party of the National Conference and Congress at the SKICC here.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has already announced his party’s support to Mr Mukherjee’s bid, led the joint legislature party in the meeting.
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Mr Mukherjee is also scheduled to meet lone CPI(M) MLA M Y Tarigami, and two independent MLAs from the Valley — Sheikh Abdul Rashid and Hakim Mohammad Yasin after meeting the ruling coalition legislators.
The former Union Finance Minister will call on opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at latter’s residence to seek support, PDP sources said.
The sources said the opposition party is also likely to extend support to Mr Mukherjee as it does not want to be seen voting alongside BJP which has supported P A Sangma for the post of the President.
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National Conference has 28 MLAs, five MPs and support of an independent MP from Ladakh, while Congress has 17 MLAs and four MPs in Jammu and Kashmir. PDP has 21 MLAs but no presence in the Parliament.
The polling for electing the President will be held on July 19.