Presidential polls: Congress seeks consensus, BJP ‘will not support Pranab Mukherjee’

NEW DELHI: Congress, which has begun talks with allies to decide on presidential candidate, on Monday, said it was for "widest possible consensus" and "maximum consultations" on the issue and disfavoured any speculation about names.


Party spokesperson Manish Tewari at the same time ducked queries on whether Congress finds itself averse to the idea of an "apolitical" President, a demand raised by various parties.


"There is no question of A political or B political or non-political President. Our choice like everybody's choice will be subscribed by the constitutional provisions required for election of a President ... Congress is always for a President that fits the bill as per the provisions dealing with the election of a President," party spokesperson Manish Tewari said.


Noting that that the term of the present President expires in July, the Congress spokesperson disfavoured speculations about the highest constitutional authority of the country.


"Let us not speculate ... Let us not second guess if a preliminary consultation process is underway. The President of India is an extremely august office. This is not an office which should be brought into the realm of unnecessary speculation," he said, adding that the process should instead be allowed to be fructified.


Tewari said that in matters related to election or appointment of constitutional heads, Congress has followed a policy that "whatever happens should have widest possible consensus. Whatever happens should have largest possible consent."


Asked whether Congress favours another term for former President Abdul Kalam, he said it was "extremely immature to start speculation about names. We should keep in mind the dignity of the highest constitutional office of the country".


Tewari also dismissed BJP's criticism on Congress' relations with its allies saying "we have always behaved with dignity with our allies" and reminded BJP of the desertions of constituents from NDA.


Won't support Congress candidate: BJP


Earlier Monday, senior BJP member Sushma Swaraj told reporters that her party wouldn't support either finance minister Pranab Mukherjee or Vice-President Hamid Ansari for the president's post. She said, "We will not accept any Congress candidate, including Pranab Mukherjee, for the President's post."


The names of Mukherjee and Ansari have been doing the round as being among the probables in the presidential election. Asked about Ansari, Swaraj said he does not have the stature to be President and hence BJP will not support him. She also categorically said there will be no understanding with the Congress under which NDA would support UPA's presidential candidate and get their support in return for the Vice-President's post.


"We are looking at the 2014 elections and do not want to give the impression that we have any truck with the Congress," Swaraj said. She said BJP was gauging the mood of the UPA allies on the presidential elections. On whether a non-Congress candidate like APJ Abdul Kalam, Swaraj said BJP is open to the idea. "We can have an understanding with non-Congress parties where we support their presidential candidate and they support our vice-presidential candidate," she said.


"We will contest to win. We will work out an arithmetic," she said.