President poll: Pranab Mukherjee quits as FM, bids adieu to active politics

New Delhi: UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee, who resigned as the Union Finance Minister and bid farewell to active politics after several decades on Tuesday, has said that he is honoured and humbled at his nomination.

Addressing mediapersons on his last day in the North Block office, the veteran Congressman said that he would miss his Finance Ministry colleagues, adding, "Today I embark on a new journey."

The presidential nominee also confirmed that it was his last day as the Finance Minister on Tuesday and would now file his nomination for the Presidential elections.

The UPA presidential candidate said he was honoured at his nomination, and was ready to embark on a new journey.

He thanked the UPA leadership as well as other parties, including Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, JDU, CPM and Forward Bloc, for extending support to his candidature.

Mukherjee will contest the Presidential poll against former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, who is backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the AIADMK and the Biju Janata Dal.

Meanwhile, according to sources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to take over the Finance Ministry after the resignation of Mukherjee.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)