Owaisi meets Jagan in jail, urges him to back Pranab

As the race for Raisina Hill heats up, All India Majlis-e Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi met YSR Congress Party chief Jaganmohan Reddy in Hyderabad's Chanchalguda jail, and urged him to support UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee for the coveted post of President of India.

Reports indicate that Jaganmohan Reddy is likely to support the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee.

"During the course of our small meeting or discussion we had, I had also requested him (Jaganmohan Reddy) that this party should support the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee and he should not ally with the National Democratic Alliance as they have a communal ideology. He has told me that he will definitely keep this in mind and he has to take a decision on that," Owaisi told the media after the meeting.

The NDA during its nearly two-hour long meeting on Sunday failed to firm up a position on the presidential election, as it was divided over opposing UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee and there was lack of clarity on extending support to Sangma.

The Presidential elections will be held on July 19. The vote count will take place on July 22.

Pratibha Devisingh Patil's term as President ends on July 24.