KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today said that A P J Abdul Kalam was her party's first choice for the post of President. "A P J Abdul Kalam is our first choice for Presidential election. When I attended a meeting of the NDA about a month back, I had said this," Banerjee told.
"We want a person like Abdul Kalam who is impartial and has a stature," she said. Asked if Trinamool Congress- an NDA partner- would support the candidature of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, she said, "If President Kalam contests the presidential poll, we will support him.
Even presidential candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had stated that he would be happy if consensus can be achieved on the candidature of incumbent A P J Abdul Kalam." Banerjee said that she did not have any talk with the newly-formed United National Progressive Alliance, a front of eight regional parties including AIADMK, TDP and SP, which supported the candidature of Abdul Kalam.
"Even last time I had proposed the name of Kalam and this time also he is our first choice," she said. She, however, refused to say anything on who her party would support if A P J Abdul Kalam refused to contest for the second term.
"I will not say anything more on this now. Whatever I have to say I have said." Shekhawat had met the Trinamool Congress chief on May 31 during his visit to the city. Banerjee had, however, described the visit as a courtesy call and said that they had not discussed the presidential election.
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