Pranab passive CPM supporter, says BJP

Even as the BJP has expressed support for P A Sangma in the presidential election, the party isn't hopeful that he will make it given that even CPM and JDU are now backing UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee.

State BJP president Rahul Sinha said the CPM's support was expected as Pranab Mukherjee was a passive CPM supporter. "He is actually a CPM supporter. It has been his passive support that not only helped CPM in their long reign but also weakened Congress in the state. The CPM would have supported him much earlier had there been no opposition from Kerala," he said.

About Sangma's prospect in the race to Raisina Hill, Sinha did not sound much optimistic. "After Shiv Sena, the JDU has taken a 180º turn and that makes Sangma's candidature slightly weaker. With the CPM's and Trinamool's support, Sangma would have been on much stronger ground," he said.

CPM and Congress leaders slammed the state BJP president's statement.

"Imagining that the CPM will support a BJP candidate is madness. It will be interesting to see what the TMC does now. Either after Pranab meets Mamata Banerjee on Saturday or a probable call from Sonia Gandhi will prod her to support the finance minister's candidature," said CPM minister Manab Mukherjee.

Senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said it is the misfortune of BJP that it could not support the Congress candidate. "BJP does not have the courtesy to respect the gravity of the presidential election and the party has made a laughing stock of itself. The Congress, however, has that courtesy," he said and recalled that Congress had supported the candidature of A P J Abdul Kalam who was nominated by the BJP for the president's post.

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