Jaya, Patnaik backs Sangma for Presidency; NCP unsure

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa on Thursday joined hands with her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in backing former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma for the President's post. However, the Nationalist Congress Party virtually disowned its party leader, Sangma, to enter the Presidential race.

After "due consideration" and consultations within the AIADMK as well as with Patnaik, the AIADMK has decided to support the candidature of Sangma for the highest office, Jayalalithaa said in a statement.

Recalling Sangma's May 15 meeting with her, she said he "not only belongs to a tribal community but is also eminently qualified to be the President of our great nation."

"During the past 60 years of the republic of India, while eminent personalities belonging to various communities and diverse walks of life have graced the office of the

Rashtrapati, no one belonging to a tribal community has had the opportunity so far," she said.

As such, the AIADMK "takes pride" in supporting the candidature of Sangma, an NCP leader, she added.

Her statement comes hours after Patnaik announced in Bhubaneswar BJD's support to the 65-year-old tribal leader from Meghalaya for the post.

Jayalalithaa and Patnaik are the two leaders from the regional parties to have come out with their choice for the Presidency even as Congress and the BJP are keeping their cards close to their chest.

Incumbent Pratibha Patil's tenure ends on July 25 and the race for Raisina Hill is expected to pick up pace with the regional leaders officially proposing their candidate.

"I am not aware of any such development. Sangma has not spoken to us. We have had no discussions. We feel that with such a limited strength, we cannot aspire for such a major post," party chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told PTI.

Pawar's party is a key ally of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre since May 2004 and the two parties are also sharing power in Maharashtra since 2009. He had sometime back met

Congress President Sonia Gandhi who has been holding consultations with UPA constituents and allies over the Presidential election.