Sonia meets party MPs ahead of Prez poll

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday held brief interactions with party MPs from all states on the issue of the Presidential election for which voting will take place on Thursday.

Emerging from the meeting, Union Minister Harish Rawat told media persons that such meetings are held ahead of every presidential and vice presidential election.

"Discussions took place about the process and procedure of voting," he said.

The Union Minister dismissed the possibility of cross-voting in the UPA camp when pointed out that the NDA-backed opposition nominee P A Sangma is pinning hope on a conscience vote in the presidential poll.

"There is no possibility of any cross-voting in the UPA. It is for them (opposition) to take care whether cross voting takes place in their camp or not. UPA is intact," Rawat said.

He also pointed out that NDA ally JD-U and Shiv Sena have already backed Pranab Mukherjee's candidature.

Congress MPs led by AICC in-charge of respective states came to meet Gandhi in separate batches. Those who met Gandhi included most of the Union Ministers hailing from different states.

Gandhi is learnt to have told the MPs to maintain caution during voting so that nothing goes wrong and all formalities are completed.

The meeting took place a day after indications came from AICC that Rahul Gandhi could play a larger role in the party.

However, party leaders who met the Congress president, made it clear that this issue did not figure in their interaction with Gandhi on Tuesday.