TMC to decide Presidential nominee after poll date is notified

Trinamool Congress on Wednesday said it would decide on a Presidential nominee only after the date for election to the top post is announced.

"We will decide (on a presidential candidate) only after the poll date is announced," party leader and Railway Minister Mukul Roy told reporters here.

Roy, who along with three other Trinamool MPs took oath as a Rajya Sabha member earlier in the day, said it would be too premature to decide on a candidate now.

TMC's support is crucial for the victory of the UPA candidate. The President's election is due in July but the date is yet to be announced.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad had come out yesterday in support of Vice President Hamid Ansari as the Presidential candiate but the Samajwadi Party and principal Opposition BJP have not made their stand clear on the issue.

Meanwhile, another TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay today made it clear that they are against deregulation of diesel prices after the government's announcement yesterday that it has agreed in principle for deregulation, but is not considering similar proposal for cooking gas.

"We will oppose any move to deregulate diesel prices," Bandopadhyay said.