With DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi indicating today, after a meeting with the UPA top brass, that he would persuade the Left to get on board to support the UPA’s choice for President, the Left’s opposition to the candidature of Shivraj Patil is losing steam.As soon as Karunanidhi landed in Delhi this evening — his arrival delayed after a health check — a car drove him straight to 7, Race Course Road where he held discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, after which he told reporters he would hold talks with Left leaders tomorrow. Tomorrow is also the UPA coordination committee meeting on the nominee, the scheduled Cabinet meeting has been cancelled.While “two or three names” were discussed during his meeting, Karunanidhi said, he was “not in a position to divulge those names now.” Asked if he was the bridge between the Congress and the Left on the latter’s opposition to Patil, Karunanidhi said: “I don’t know if there are such differences. I will find out only after I have talks (with the Left party leaders).”On the DMK’s support for the Congress candidate, Karunanidhi said: “We certainly discussed about extending support for the Congress candidate. However, it has not been decided who that candidate would be.” A week ago, Karunanidhi had announced in Chennai that his DMK would support the Congress candidate. Meanwhile, Left leaders, who said yesterday that they would finalise their strategy after a meeting with Karunanidhi, held two rounds of meetings with Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Pawar, too, said he would back the UPA nominee.Later in the day, Bardhan accompanied by CPI national secretary D Raja called on RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. The Railway Minister was learnt to have told them that the UPA and the Left must come together to ensure the defeat of the likely NDA nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Amid reports that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was upset because of the party leadership’s decision against his candidature, Mukherjee issued a statement today asserting his loyalty. “While I am grateful for the trust and confidence placed in me by some leaders, I reiterate that my role in the party and government is decided by the Congress leadership. There is no room for any further speculation in this matter,” he said. Mukherjee dismissed as “speculative and tendentious” media reports involving his name in the Presidential elections and added that he had clarified his position on May 18 on this issue.
