P A Sangma laughs off presidential nominee reports

Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma laughed at the suggestion that his name has been floating as a potential presidential candidate for the forthcoming elections to the office of President of India. President Pratibha Patil's term ends on July 24, and the new President would be sworn in on July 25.

"I am so far away from Delhi and I hardly know what is going on in the political circles. I am amused to hear that a leading national newspaper has already run a story that I have thrown my hat in the ring," Sangma told rediff.com from his residence in Tura in Meghalya before laughing at the story.

He said that he would be in Delhi on Wednesday and hence he would be in a better position to answer this question after consulting his party leadership. "I am a loyal solider of the party and would abide by the decision taken by the party high command," he added. Most of the Nationalist Congress Party leaders preferred not to speak on the matter.

"If he is willing to contest then we would have to talk to the Congress and you know that party president Sonia Gandhi is upset with him. He had called her a foreigner. Under these circumstances it would be difficult to get his name accepted," a senior NCP leader told rediff.com in New Delhi on the condition of anonymity.

When asked what stand will the left parties would take on the candidature of Sangma, D Raja of the Communist Party of India said they would talk to the congress about it. "We cannot take a stand now," he said.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari refused to comment on Sangma but chose to avoid Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's name, while talking of the possible candidates for the top constitutional post of India.

"Believe me that the issue has not even be discussed informally. No names have been mentioned by the party leaders leave alone the stand taken by the top brass of the party. As and when we start discussing important issue like Presidential poll media would be first to know about it," he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that no names have been discussed. It is a well-known fact that party leaders prefer name of a person who is not a politician like E Sreedharan, former chief executive of metro railway – a man known for his integrity, honesty and dedication for work.