UPA's Prez candidate likely by Friday: Karat

Left party leaders on Thursday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi in a bid to narrow down differences over the choice of United Progressive Alliance's presidential candidate and hoped that a decision will be taken by Friday.

"The consultations are continuing and we hope that the UPA will finalise the name of its nominee by Friday," Communist Party of India-Maxist general secretary Prakash Karat said after the 45-minute-long meeting.

Besides Karat, the meeting was attended by his party colleague Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan and national secretary D Raja.      

The meeting came after a round of parleys they had with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who is in New Delhi to find a consensus on the choice of the candidate. 

However, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said that a decision on the UPA candidate for presidential election will be taken by Thursday evening.   

"Everything will be clear by the evening," the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief told media persons after his meeting with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.