Kolkata: In a bid to garner support of the Trianmool Congress for the upcoming vice-presidential poll, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday called on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. But Banerjee remained no-committal.
“Yes, the PM had called up Mamata Banerjee and had requested her to support the UPA’s vice presidential candidate Hamid Ansari. But Mamatadi has told the prime minister that she will make her party’s stand clear within two-three days,” Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. AFP
Incumbent Hamid Ansari was on Saturday named by the UPA as its candidate for the vice presidential poll but Trinamool Congress did not concur with the alliance’s choice and possibility of his unanimous re-election evaporated within hours as the BJP pushed for a contest.
Home Minister P Chidambaram later described Ansari’s choice as “unanimous” though Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy said the party had suggested names of former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and former MP Krishna Bose.
IANS
