Congress to take a call on Presidential candidate after consulting Opposition

New Delhi: The Congress said on Friday that the party's president and vice president and the working committee after consultation with all opposition leaders will take a conscious, concerted and balanced call on a joint Presidential candidate by the opposition.

There have been hectic parleys over a joint candidate for the election of President by the opposition in place of Pranab Mukherjee, amid demands for putting up a united fight.

"The Congress party will decide upon a Presidential candidate after consulting and taking into confidence all its allies as also all other Opposition Parties.

"The Congress president, Congress vice president and the Working Committee, after consultation with all leaders of the opposition parties, will take a conscious, concerted and balanced call on the issue," communications department incharge of Congress Randeep Surjewala said.

He said as soon as it is decided, the party will be very happy to share it with the media and has "nothing to hide".

"When that stage arrives, we will be very happy to inform the media. So far, that stage has not arisen. So, the question of individual's name does not arise as yet," he said.

Surjewala also played down the meeting of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with Sonia Gandhi, saying it was merely a courtesy call.

"It was a regular courtesy call between two allies. To convert it into any other discussion perhaps would be unwarranted," he said.

He said that Nitish Kumar met Rahul Gandhi when he visited Bihar and met Sonia Gandhi when he was in Delhi.

Besides Nitish Kumar, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury had yesterday met Sonia Gandhi on possible confabulations over a joint presidential candidate by the opposition.