NEW DELHI: The Left parties will meet here on Wednesday to discuss the presidential election, the first such formal exercise being undertaken by the four parties supporting the United Progressive Alliance Government from outside.

Over the past week UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh began informal talks with Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan to ascertain their views.

Sources in the Left parties said it was suggested that the Congress-led UPA take a view and convey it to the Left parties which would then take a collective decision.

Four parameters

The four broad parameters suggested by the Left leaders included no second term for A.P.J. Abdul Kalam; no elevation for Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat; candidate to be a person with political background; and no endorsement to any candidate proposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The sources said that in their understanding two possible candidates whose names were under consideration by the UPA were Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and Sushil Kumar Shinde.

However, they said, it is for Congress leaders to take a final decision. For, Mr. Mukherjee has emerged as the principal political manager for the coalition government and headed/heads a number of Groups of Ministers, which tackle controversial issues, including reservation for Other Backward Classes in higher education, separate Telangana and special economic zones.

He has also been the prime interface between the UPA and the Left parties on issues where both hold divergent views.

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