Prez poll: DMK leaders meet PM, Sonia

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Amid consultations on deciding the UPA candidate for Presidential election, DMK leaders T.R. Baalu and M.K. Stalin on Thursday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi here.

Baalu and Stalin met Singh at South Block and are believed to have discussed the issue of selection of a UPA candidate for the forthcoming presidential election, sources said. After holding consultations with the Prime Minister, the DMK leaders met Gandhi and is understood to have discussed the issue of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as the possible Presidential candidate, they said.

Stalin told reporters after the meeting with the Prime Minister that whatever DMK chief M. Karunanidhi had conveyed to Defence Minister A.K. Antony in a meeting some weeks ago in Chennai is the party's stand on the issue.

On May 5, Karunanidhi had said he has no objection if Mukherjee is chosen as UPA's Presidential candidate. Last month, Sonia had sent senior party leader Antony to Chennai to take the Karunanidhi on board on the issue.

Sonia had also held talks with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Mukherjee's candidature issue soon after the meeting between Antony and Karunanidhi. She had on Tuesday also met RLD chief Ajit Singh.

The RLD chief had on Wednesday said Mukherjee was 'qualified' for the highest constitutional post but his views were 'positive' on others as well.

A fresh round of consultations on the issue of selection of a Presidential nominee has begun in the UPA, after the Congress Working Committee in a meeting passed a resolution authorising Sonia to decide candidates for the Presidential and Vice Presidential elections.