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JD (S) faction to support Pratibha Patil

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: The Surendra Mohan faction of the Janata Dal (Secular) has decided to extend support to the UPA candidate, Pratibha Patil, in the presidential elections.

At the end of the first day of the two-day national executive committee meeting of the party, the national president, Surendra Mohan along with the party MP and Kerala State unit president, M.P. Veerendra Kumar and the national secretary-general, P.G.R. Sindhia, said that the national executive had unanimously decided to support Ms. Pratibha Patil irrespective of the JD (S) faction’s differences with the UPA.

“It is an indication of the party’s commitment to secularism”. Sources in the JD (S) told The Hindu here that earlier in the day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attempted to get in touch with Mr. Veerendra Kumar, b ut in vain, to enlist the support of the JD (S) faction which enjoys the support of five MLAs and a MP in Kerala and the lone MLA in Karnataka.

The Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, also spoke to Mr. Sindhia following which the national executive of the faction unanimously resolved to support the UPA candidate. Mr. Veerendra Kumar maintained that the party was the original JD (S) and the letter of the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, made over to Governor T.N. Chaturvedi and to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Krishna when H.D. Kumaraswamy formed a coalition in the State is adequate proof.

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