‘We’ll miss him': CWC bids adieu to Pranab

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The Congress Working Committee on Monday lauded outgoing finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s long service to the party and the government, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying the veteran leader will be greatly missed.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi said it was a matter of great pleasure that the UPA had named him its presidential candidate.

The CWC met specially on Monday to bid Mr Mukherjee, its seniormost member, a warm farewell. (He first became a CWC member in 1978.) Mrs Gandhi was confident he would win the July 19 presidential election by a huge margin.

Dr Singh said his absence would be greatly felt as he discharged many duties in the government. Thirty of the CWC’s 36 members, including permanent invitees, attended. Among those who spoke were A.K. Antony, Motilal Vora, S.C. Jamir, R.K. Dhawan and Mohsina Kidwai.

A visibly emotional Mr Mukherjee, who held a number of posts in the party and government, said he had “got much more from the party than he had given”, and thanked it for nominating him.

Sweets, including sandesh from Bengal, were distributed as Congress leaders wished the 76-year- old minister a great innings ahead.

AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi later told the media that Mr Mukherjee, who will resign from the government on Tuesday, will file his nomination for the presidential election on Thursday.

In a personal gesture, meanwhile, Mr Rahul Gandhi drove to the finance minister’s North Block office soon after the CWC meeting (which he too attended) to greet the outgoing minister on his last day in government. He told reporters after the hour-long meeting: “We learn a lot from him. It is a matter of great happiness that he will become President.”

Mr Mukherjee is expected to launch his campaign from Chennai on June 30, and is likely to visit Hyderabad and Bengaluru the next day.