Third Front won't support Pratibha Patil

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Saturday ruled out support to Pratibha Patil, the United Progressive Alliance-Left nominee for presidential election, saying it "will not and cannot" support a Congress candidate.

"We have nothing against Pratibha Patil. But as far as AIADMK is concerned, we have already announced that we will not support a Congress candidate. It does not matter whether the candidate is a man or woman," AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa told reporters after the party's executive committee meeting, which authorised her to take a decision on the party's stand on the presidential poll.

Asked if AIADMK had taken the decision unilaterally, Jayalalithaa claimed it was a collective decision of the parties of the newly-floated eight-party Third Front.

She said the front had three options before it -- to put up a candidate of its own, support the candidature of a person who had already announced his intention of contesting or abstain from presidential election.

A decision would be taken at a meeting of front leaders in Chennai on June 18, she said.