Apparently referring to ally Trinamool Congress, United Progressive Alliance Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday once again appealed to those who have not yet decided on supporting him to do so.
Ending days of suspense, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday made it clear that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was her first choice for Presidentship and Vice President Hamid Ansari was also in the reckoning.
With clouds of storm hovering over Parliament's budget session, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday sought the "cooperation" of all MPs in the smooth conduct of legislative business but gave no indication of plans to bring changes in the controversial land acquisition ordinance.
Press Council of India chairman Markandey Katju has once again appealed to the president and the prime minister of Pakistan to release Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh who is on death row for over two decades.
With reference to the demand of debate on the lines of US election, made by his rival and opposition nominee P A Sangma, UPA's Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee said in Mumbai that Presidents in India do not decide policy, and there can be no debate on "personality".
The President in his address to the joint sitting of Parliament unveiled the policies and priorities of the BJP - led NDA government which assumed power last month after elections to the 16th Lok Sabha.
Defending his party's decision to support the Presidential poll contest, Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Monday said the government has to build consensus on the issue and the UPA dispensation made no such effort as it sought support for Pranab Mukherjee only after announcing his candidature.
As the race for the President reaches it non-exciting climax, it is clear that no political constituent is winning with dignity, says Sheela Bhatt.
Pinning hopes on "conscience vote" and his tribal identity, P A Sangma on Friday virtually dared United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee for a debate ahead of Presidential polls, saying democracy needs debate.
Reconciling with division within the National Democratic Alliance over Presidential poll, Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday announced its support to P A Sangma to pit him against United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee.
Major opposition parties met President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday and put forth their concerns over recent incidents of violence, including attacks by cow vigilantes, and attempts to "muzzle voices of dissent".
Having rejected the three names proposed by the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party combine, the Congress is expected to come out with the name of the United Progressive Alliance candidate either on Thursday or Friday.
DMK's TR Baalu said the name of the person cannot be divulged as of now and parried questions on whether the candidate is among the five persons whose names have been made public. "Madam will announce it shortly. Not today... At any point within this week," he said.
National Democratic Alliance backed Presidential candidate P A Sangma on Wednesday said that the Presidential elections were not held on party lines and every body has a right to vote according to their conscience.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday dismissed as speculation reports that he has emerged as a front runner in the race for presidential election.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist asked the Congress to take the initiative in building a consensus on the candidate for the presidential election though it indicated it was not averse to supporting either Vice President Hamid Ansari or Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for the post.
Amidst the current political turmoil in Bangladesh, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday expressed confidence that the democratic traditions in this country will grow stronger with time and the youth will preserve democracy with their "constant vigil".
With A P J Abdul Kalam deciding not to contest the Presidential poll, BJP appeared set to back P A Sangma's candidature and convince its dithering NDA allies like Janata Dal (United) and Shiv Sena to fall in line and give up plans of a consensus on Pranab Mukherjee.
Trinamool Congress MPs accused the Modi government of having imposed a "super emergency" by launching the exercise and engaging in "vendetta politics" by arresting two party lawmakers after it opposed the "draconian" move.
Shah said that the BJP hoped the Dalit nominee would be unanimously selected as the President.
India and Mauritius on Tuesday signed three memorandums of understanding during the three-day State visit of President Pranab Mukherjee. One MoU was on persons with disabilities and senior citizens, another on cooperation in the field of health and medicine, and the third was on cooperation in the field of tourism.
The term of President Pranab Mukherjee ends on July 24.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Members of Parliament on Thursday shouted slogans over Sri Lankan Tamil issue during the maiden address of President Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament.
Press Council of India chairperson Justice Markandey Katju may soon write a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking that actor Sanjay Dutt and 1993 Mumbai blasts accused Zaibunissa are not sent to jail till his application seeking pardon for them is considered.
Preparations are almost complete for the smooth conduct of the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which will be attended by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The RuPay card is accepted at all ATMs (1.6 lakh plus), 95 per cent of PoS terminals (9.45 lakh plus) and most of the eCom merchants (about 10,000) in the country.
Nomination papers of Pranab Mukhejee, for the Presidential poll on July 19, are being readied, according to sources. Senior Union ministers and Members of Parliament have been summoned to Parliament House on Wednesday to affix their signatures on Mukherjee's papers.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday threw a spanner in the Congress party's works by proposing a completely different set of names for the post of President.
Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party official spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday said his party would disclose its strategy on Presidential elections only after the ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition announces name of its candidate.
The lowering of the age from the existing 18 years means that those aged 16 and above will no longer enjoy protection under the Juvenile Justice law, under which juveniles cannot be tried under the normal law of the land that provides punishment of up to death for rape and murder.
A day before the July 19 Presidential poll, Congress President Sonia Gandhi will host a lunch for the members of Parliament of the United Progressive Alliance and supporting parties.
The Janata Dal-United on Monday said that the Opposition parties will seek to put up a united face during the vice presidential election notwithstanding the differences among them on the issue of presidential election.
Abjijit Mukherjee, son of President Pranab Mukherjee and Congress candidate on Saturday won the Jangipur Lok Sabha by-election by 2,536 votes defeating his nearest Communist Party of India-Marxist rival Muzaffar Hussain.
Editor-in-Chief of daily 'Dagens Nyhetter' Peter Wolodarski also claimed that Indian envoy to Sweden Banashri Bose Harrison warned that the planned state visit by the President was at risk of being cancelled.
Even as focus is on Pranab Mukherjee and P A Sangma in coming Presidential polls, nomination papers have already been filed by 26 others who represent varied background -- from autorickshaw driver to tea vendor.
The Congress wants to show that it is Sonia Gandhi who will nominate the presidential candidate, to discard the impression that the party chief has been given a fait accompli if she does not want the Congress candidate to lose, says Renu Mittal
Pranab Mukherjee also said that the government has not been indicted in the Bihar case.
The BJP core group met in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the strategy for ensuring that all party legislators in the states and in Parliament vote for P A Sangma in the Presidential poll and decided to use this opportunity to highlight failures of the United Progressive Alliance government.
Inter-faith prayer meeting held on Friday at Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi.
Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who is in prison as an undertrial in a disproportionate assets case, stepped out of Hyderabad's Chanchalguda jail to cast his vote at the Andhra Pradesh assembly in the ongoing presidential elections.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances