President poll: Pranab seeks support of TMC, other parties

Hyderabad: Seeking to broaden his support base in the electoral college, UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday appealed to political parties, including Trinamool Congress which are still undecided on the election for the President, to back his candidature.

"I am appealing to all those who have not yet decided to take decision in my favour, in favour of UPA," Mukherjee told reporters here, after an interaction with the ruling Congress MPs, MLAs, MLCs in Andhra Pradesh.

He expressed gratitude to partners of UPA (Trinamool Congress is yet to announce its decision though it is part of the ruling coalition at the Centre), Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which support UPA from outside, and parties opposed to UPA like CPI(M), Forward Block, JD (U) and Shiv Sena for supporting his candidature.

Pranab expressed gratitude to partners of UPA for supporting his presidential candidature.

Opposition parties like Telugu Desam, TRS and YSR Congress of Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy are yet to announce their decision on whom to support in the presidential election.

Mukherjee, who launched his campaign in Chennai on Saturday by meeting MLAs, MPs of Congress and UPA allies like DMK, interacted with the Congress legislators during a short visit to the Andhra Pradesh capital.

Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, incharge of Congress affairs in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana, Union Ministers MM Pallam Raju and D Purandeswari were among those present on the occasion.

City-based Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislators met Mukherjee at a five-star hotel after his meeting with the Congress leaders, sources said. MIM is a part of UPA.

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