The Hindu : National : Talks on with allies: Pranab

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Sunday, Jun 10, 2007
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Talks on with allies: Pranab

Kolkata: The Congress is holding consultations with United Progressive Alliance allies for consensus on a UPA candidate for the President's post, the election for which is scheduled for next month.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday night told reporters after West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had called on him that he along with his party colleagues Ahmed Patel and A.K. Antony were holding talks with the allies.

The discussion was continuing and he had already held talks with Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Lok Jan Shakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan.

Mr. Mukherjee said the Presidential election did not figure in his talks with Mr. Bhattacharjee, who went to his residence to express concern over the recent attempt of Bhutanese refugees to cross over to their homeland from Nepal using Indian territory. "Consultations are on with the UPA allies on the Presidential elections. But I did not have any talk on the issue with Mr. Bhattacharjee," he said.

Pawar speaks to Patil

A report from New Delhi said Mr. Pawar on Saturday spoke to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil over phone and is understood to have told him that the NCP was not averse to his candidature in the Presidential election.

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