TMC to support Pranab Mukherjee but skip UPA lunch

New Delhi: Even as Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee declared her support for UPA Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee, her MPs have been instructed to stay away from the lunch being hosted by Sonia Gandhi for the UPA allies on Wednesday afternoon.

Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced here 'reluctant' support for Pranab Mukherjee. But she claimed that she's backing him with a heavy heart.

Mamata's change of heart came after the Prime Minister called her up on Tuesday, after which she decided to not waste the TMC's vote by abstaining. Mamata had wanted APJ Abdul Kalam as the Presidential candidate, who refused to contest.

TMC MPs have been instructed to stay away from the lunch being hosted by Sonia Gandhi for the UPA allies on Wednesday.

Talking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Derek O'Brien said that Mamata has done no U-turn and the party's differences with the government stay intact.

"Let me be very clear, our views and differences on some major issues which affect the common man be it FDI in retail, be it petrol price hike, be it SEZ, be it pension, all this remain because this is in our manifesto. This is the right decision, we should look ahead. We have issues with the government but to use the term U-turn, we are absolutely cruising along in Bengal, there's a lot of great work being done so there is no U-turn happening," he said.

Also See

• President poll: Supporting Pranab not a U-turn, says Trinamool Congress

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