Congress on Thursday sought to use the emotive plank of the first woman as the country's President to reach a consensus with opposition National Democratic Alliance and other non-United Progressive Alliance parties by appealing to them to back UPA's choice of Pratibha Patil for the top post.

"I appeal to all political parties and members of the electoral college to elect the first woman to the post of President," Senior Congress leader and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement in Delhi.