Prez poll: Pranab, Sangma to visit Gujarat

As part of their ongoing campaign for the July 19 Presidential election, United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee and his rival P A Sangma will be separately visiting Gujarat in next couple of days.

During his one-day visit on Thursday, UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to meet Congress MPs and MLAs, besides paying visit to Sabarmati Ashram and Sardar Patel memorial in Shahibaug locality, Congress office-bearers said.

"Pranab Mukherjee has an old connection with Gujarat...He got elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat Legislative Assembly in 80's," Vidhan Sabha Secretary D M Patel told PTI.

President-hopeful P A Sangma, whose candidature is backed by Bharatiya Janata Party, Biju Janata Dal and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, will call upon the BJP MLAs, MPs on July 6, a senior party functionary said.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker will be the chief guest at the cultural programme, being organised by the Indian National Army Trust in the memory of Subash Chandra Bose.

Modi is also hosting a special luncheon for Sangma at his residence, they said, adding BJP tribal leaders, including Speaker Ganpat Vasava and tribal development minister Mangubhai Patel are also likely to meet Sangma.

In 182-member House, BJP has 121 MLAs, while Congress has 55, NCP 3, JD(U) 2 and 1 independent. Gujarat's share in total electoral college of 10.98 lakh votes stands at 52,950 votes, according to a Vidhan Sabha official.