Pranab hopeful of Mamata’s support (Lead)
July 11th, 2012 - 10:08 pm ICT by IANS
Bhubaneswar, July 11 (IANS) United Progressive Alliance (UPA) presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee, who was in Odisha Wednesday evening to gather support for himself in the July 19 election, hoped that he would get the support of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Speaking to reporters before his departure for New Delhi, the former finance minister said some political parties have not yet taken the final decision regarding their support. “TMC is also like that and I understand the TMC leaders have stated that they will take a decision three-four days before the election. I am waiting for that. I am hopeful,” he said.
Responding to a question on the controversy over his resignation from the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Mukherjee said, “All these issues have to be debated, discussed in the appropriate forum that is the returning officer and those phases are over.” He said the election commission has also given a detailed report yesterday (Tuesday).
State Congressmen gave a rousing welcome to the former finance minister as he arrived at the Biju Patnaik Airport here in the evening for a brief tour.
Party leaders who welcomed Mukherjee at the airport included state Congress Chief Niranjan Patnaik, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Srikant Jena, All India Congress Committee general secretary and Odisha in-charge Jagdish Tytler and the state assembly’s Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh.
Mukherjee drove to the Congress office to address party legislators and MPs from the state. Several tribal Congress workers attired in tribal costumes performed dances and welcomed him with the beating of drums.
His campaign in Odisha for the July 19 presidential election carries significance as the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has announced support for his rival and former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is also the chief of the BJD, was the first to announce the name of Sangma in May for the high post.
The Congress has only 27 members in the state’s 147-member assembly. It also claims to have the support of two independent legislators. It has from the state six members in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha.
- Pranab in Odisha to seek support - Jul 11, 2012
- Sangma arrives in Odisha to seek support - Jul 15, 2012
- People taking interest in presidential poll: Sangma (Lead) - Jul 15, 2012
- Sangma to campaign in Odisha July 15 - Jul 06, 2012
- Patnaik leaves for Delhi to back Sangma - Jun 27, 2012
- Congress, BJD trade charges over presidential election - Jul 01, 2012
- Pranab to campaign in Odisha July 11 - Jul 01, 2012
- BJD to continue supporting Sangma for presidency - Jun 16, 2012
- Patnaik accuses Pranab of buying support - Jul 02, 2012
- Sangma seeks support, not many takers (Lead) - May 22, 2012
- Naveen Patnaik is Sangma's proposer for president's poll (Lead) - Jun 26, 2012
- A tribal should occupy Raisina Hill: Naveen Patnaik - Jun 21, 2012
- Mayawati silent on Sangma's bid at presidency - May 19, 2012
- Meghalaya's UDP to support Sangma in presidential poll - Jul 02, 2012
- Became a presidential candidate incidentally, says Sangma - May 26, 2012
Tags: biju, bjd, chief minister, congress chief, congress office, congress workers, india congress committee, indian statistical institute, jagdish tytler, leader of opposition, Lok Sabha, naveen patnaik, pranab mukherjee, progressive alliance, returning officer, rousing welcome, state congress, state congressmen, trinamool congress, west bengal