Don't indulge in speculation: Pranab on Prez candidate choice

With reports suggesting that he is one of the candidates for the presidential post, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today parried questions on whether he is in the race for it.

"Oh my goodness... oh my goodness...," a smiling Mukherjee told reporters outside Parliament House when asked about his being projected as consensus choice for President's post.

"Don't indulge in any speculation," he said when pressed again to get his version amid reports that his name was discussed during Defence Minister A K Antony's meeting with DMK Chief M Karunanidhi in Chennai yesterday as part of efforts to have a consensus candidate among UPA allies.

Antony also refused to divulge the details of his meeting with Karunanidhi saying whatever the DMK chief has said would only be conveyed to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Congress insisted that the formal process to choose the next President is yet to take off.

Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said that the extremely august office of the President of India should not be brought into the realm of unnecessary speculation.

"The President of India is an extremely august office. This is not an office which should be brought into the realm of unnecessary speculation. While it is true that the term of the current President will be ending in July. It is also a fact that formally the process to chose the next President has not kicked off," he told reporters outside Parliament.

President Pratibha Patil's term is going to end in July this year.

Meanwhile, NCP member and Union Minister Agatha Sangma suggested that Mukherjee should remain in Finance Ministry and pitched for her father and senior leader P A Sangma saying a tribal and a Christian have never been President.

"Sangma, not as my father... but according to me he is very a able Parliamentarian. Whatever role he has been given, he has played it very well. So according to me, he is very able person and politician.

... contd.

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