No decision had as yet been taken by the Congress President Sonia Gandhi on selecting the UPA nominee for Presidential election.
NEW DELHI: The Congress on friday ruled out the possibility of a consensus being reached among the UPA, NDA and other political parties on electing the next President as mooted by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, indicating that a contest for the high post was inevitable.
"The question (of consensus) does not arise," Congress Spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi said and recalled that during the last Presidential election too, consensus on the issue could not be reached.
"It is within the UPA allies and the supporting parties that efforts for consensus has to be made,'' he told mediapersons.
Stating that no decision had as yet been taken by the Congress President Sonia Gandhi on selecting the UPA nominee for Presidential election, Mr Chaturvedi said efforts were on within the UPA and the like-minded parties on reaching an unanimous decision on Presidential candidate. Efforts were being made by the Congress President and senior Congress leaders towards this objective, he said in reply to a query.
The Congress was in the process of consultations within the UPA partners, he said. "We are trying for a consensus within the UPA."
Asked whether External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has been deputed by UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to work for a consensus for a UPA nominee, Mr Chaturvedi said,"I do not know. Mr Mukherjee can answer."
Asked about the NCP having reportedly raised objections to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil being fielded as a Presidential candidate, the Congress Spokesman said on the other hand he had seen an NCP Spokesman denying the report and saying that the NCP would abide by any decision by the UPA about its nominee.
When pointed out that Mr Patil had lost the election as an MP, Mr Chaturvedi said there was no Constitutional bar on a non-Lok Sabha member becoming the President.
Replying to a question as to whether an apolitical person could also be considered to be put up as a candidate, he said it was the Congress High Command and the Congress President who had to consider this aspect.
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