Hoping that his election would also become a unanimous one, the UPA’s Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee has said that electing the President unanimously was nothing but honoring the Constitution though it allows the people to contest for the Presidential post. There is a tradition in the Country that the ruling party’s candidate will be elected unanimously for the Presidential post.
Addressing the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held at Jubilee Hall here on Sunday as part of the Presidential election campaign, Pranab has said that Babu Rajendra Prasad, Sarvepally Radhakrishnan, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, VV Giri, Venkaraman, APJ Abdul Kalam had enhanced the dignity of the President post. “I should also maintain the dignity to enhance the image of the President post”, he said.
Making it clear that he was no more a Congress party man, Pranab has said that he had come here as a Presidential candidate. He said “I enjoyed number of positions in the Congress party. The party honored me in a great way by giving several posts. I am working with the party since 1972.
He thanked the JD (U), CPM, SP, BSP, Shiv Sena, Forward Block parties for announcing their support to him. There was a difference between the general elections and Presidential elections. Some more parties have to take a decision on extending their support to the President elections, he said and urged those parties to take a decision in favor of his candidature.
He said that he was extending his services to the nation by accepting various positions since 1972. “The people of the nation knew about me very well. I will extend my services to the nation in the same manner as a President”, he said.
It is learnt that Pranab has addressed the CLP meeting about 25 minutes.
Earlier, AICC general secretary in-charge of the State party affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that both the Prime Minister and the would be President were good economists. The nation would get good services from both of them, he said.
Earlier, PCC Chief Botcha Sathyanarayana welcomed Pranab and gathering. Welcoming Pranab, the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has appealed the members not to miss a single vote. Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu offered vote of thanks.
Azad, Botcha Sathyanarayana, Kiran Kumar Reddy, AICC observer KB Krishna Murthy and Union Minister Narayanaswamy and Deputy Chief Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha were on the dais, along with Pranab.(NSS)