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Congress on Saturday expressed the hope that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will accept the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee for the post of President like other United Progressive Alliance partners who gave their nod.
"People give their candidature. After that whatever decision is taken with consensus everybody accepts it. Mamata is our very senior leader and we hope that she will also accept it. If everybody agrees, the whole coalition agrees then I think she will also agree," Union Minister and Congress leader Sri Prakash Jaiswal told reporters.
Jaiswal's comments come at a time when Banerjee has reiterated her support to A P J Abdul Kalam for the top post.
In a posting on her Facebook page, Banerjee on Saturday said Kalam was TMC's choice as well as the choice of millions of Indians.
"I gave voice to what millions of Indians want to see in a President," she said.
Refusing to budge from her stand, she said, "My party is a small party. We are not a big party with none of the resources others possess. We are led by truth and conviction. All through my life I have stood by my principles. I stand by the position I have taken."
Mukherjee had on Friday made a personal appeal to Banerjee, saying he expected her support as she was like a sister to him.
In reply to a question, Jaiswal said there was no deal or agreement between Congress and SP on the presidential candidate issue.
"Parties which are supporting Mukherjee's candidature are doing it on their own will. There was no pressure from the Congress. We have not done any agreement or deal with the Samajwadi Party or any other parties for the support," he said.
How the numbers stack up in the presidential poll
http://www.rediff.com/news/2012/jun/how-numbers-stack-up-in-presidential-poll.pdf