Pranab will win, says Chidambaram; Sibal meets Mamata (Lead)
July 5th, 2012 - 11:54 pm ICT by IANS
Kolkata, July 5 (IANS) Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram Thursday expressed confidence that UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee would win with 65 percent votes, even as Telecom Minister Kabil Sibal met Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, apparently to seek her support in the poll.
“Please don’t bring Trinamool Congress into this. Pranab Mukherjee will win by bagging more than 65 percent of the votes,” Chidambaram told a media meet at the Press Club here, to queries asked whether the United Progressive Alliance nominee can coast to victory without the Trinamool’s backing.
To a query on whether the Trinamool would extend support to Mukherjee, he replied: “One way or the other, he will get over 65 percent of the valid votes”.
Sibal, who was also present at the media conference, said “That’s the percentage of votes that he (Mukherjee) is sure to get.”
Sibal, who arrived here in the morning, went to state secretariat, Writers’ Buildings, for talks with Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister. However, he denied having met Banerjee to garner support for Mukherjee for the July 19 presidential poll.
“I spoke to her about the children of West Bengal and their future,” quipped Sibak, who is also the human resource development minister.
Mukherjee is pitted against former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma.
The Trinamool Congress, the second-largest constituent of the Congress-led UPA, is yet to reveal its stand on the presidential poll after its preferred candidate, former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, declined to contest.
But Banerjee has so far been opposing Mukherjee’s bid for the top post. She is said to have told her close circles that she would decide her stand on the poll two or three days before the July 19 voting.
The electoral arithmetic seems to be favouring Mukherjee with all the UPA constituents except Trinamool rooting for him. Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India-Marxist, All India Forward Bloc, Janata Dal-United and Shiv Sena have also expressed their support.
But Congress is keen to get Banerjee on board to put up a united show of the ruling alliance.
- Sibal meets Mamata to seek support for Pranab - Jul 05, 2012
- Trinamool's votes not needed in presidential poll: Congress - Jul 06, 2012
- Pranab yet again appeals to Trinamool - Jun 24, 2012
- Am ready to talk to Mamata if she is ready: Pranab - Jul 09, 2012
- Pranab will win, claims UPA - Jul 17, 2012
- Sangma seeks debate with Pranab (Lead) - Jun 22, 2012
- Trinamool should support Pranab to save face: Congress - Jul 16, 2012
- Pranab welcomes Trinamool decision - Jul 17, 2012
- Sonia has hectic day over presidential poll talks (Lead) - Jun 14, 2012
- Trinamool, SP, BSP leaders attend Sonia's lunch - Jul 18, 2012
- Mukherjee will now win by bigger margin, says Congress - Jul 17, 2012
- Would desperate Mamata be able to save face in another battle? (West Bengal newsletter) - Jul 14, 2012
- Mamata to meet Sonia on presidential choice Wednesday (Lead) - Jun 12, 2012
- Mamata to meet Sonia on presidential polls Wednesday - Jun 12, 2012
- Congress squeezing Trinamool to get support: BJP - Jul 07, 2012
Tags: abdul kalam, bahujan samaj party, communist party of india, communist party of india marxist, forwar, human resource development, kabil, Lok Sabha, p chidambaram, pranab mukherjee, preferred candidate, presidential poll, progressive alliance, sibak, sibal, state secretariat, trinamool congress, union home minister, valid votes, west bengal