Prez poll: Mamata to hold discussions with Sonia

Trinamool chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is arriving in New Delhi on Tuesday for discussions tomorrow with Sonia Gandhi on the presidential election.

Sources said she is coming to Delhi after Gandhi reportedly called her over phone for discussions. The Congress President, who has been authorised by the party's working committee to finalise the candidate for the president's post, is engaged in consultations with allies on evolving a consensus nominee.

She has already held discussions with Dravida Munetra Kazhagam chief Karunanidhi, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh on the presidential candidate.

The Trinamool Congress is seeking a financial package from the Centre but the Congress has dismissed any possibility of a quid pro quo between any help to states and the Presidential poll.

The Trinamool Congress had yesterday deputed West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra for talks with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, widely speculated to be United Progressive Alliance's Presidential candidate, over the package issue but the discussions remained inconclusive.

Mamata had said on Monday that she was yet to know the outcome of the meeting between Mukherjee and Mitra on the package, which is seen as her bargaining chip for support to UPA nominee.