New Delhi: 1:57 PM Sources say that the NDA meet on Presidential race broadly agreed that the poll must be seen as an opportunity to expand the coalition in view of the 2014 General Elections. The NDA is now likely to consult chief ministers, including Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, some parties in the NDA want to wait till the Left announces its stand on the matter, sources add.
1:43 PM PA Sangma seeks the support of Nationalist Conference Party (NCP) after the NDA meet fails to arrive at a consensus. He, reportedly, also asked Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee to support him as "APJ Abdul Kalam is out of the race".
1:05 PM The NDA meet, that was held on Sunday to decide on its Presidential nominee, failed to arrive at a consensus. Sources said that LK Advani was keen that NDA contested Pranab's nomination. Sources said that there was no consensus between the BJD and the JD(U) on Pranab Mukherjee.
11:11 AM NDA meet begins. The NDA has called the meet to resolve coalition differences over their presidential nominee.
10:50 AM Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee refuses to lend her support to possible NDA nominee PA Sangma.
10:03 AM: Shiv Sena may skip NDA meet, say sources. The sources add the party is undecided on giving support to the NDA's presidential candidate.
The NDA called a crucial meeting on Sunday to decide on its Presidential nominee. The meeting, however, failed to arrive at a consensus candidate.
The UPA had announced Pranab Mukherjee as its Presidential nominee. However, the Trinamool Congress under Mamata Banerjee has refused to back him, insisting that it will support APJ Abdul Kalam.
The NDA, meanwhile, remains a divided house, with some sections favouring a contest, others calling it a "politically unwise" move.
NDA coalition partner the JD(U) has said that a contest at this stage would only bring embarrassment to it. The party has reportedly said that it favours a consensus around the UPA's nominee Pranab Mukherjee. Sources within the party say that it feels that a contest could be embarrassing as neither APJ Abdul Kalam has so far agreed to contest nor the NDA has the numbers.
However, another section within the party favours a contest as they see the Presidential elections as the big battle before the 2014 General Elections and feel that they shouldn't be seen going without a fight.
Senior party leader Ram Jethamalani on Saturday even threatened to defy the party and contest himself for the race if the BJP backed the UPA's nominee Pranab Mukherjee.
Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy too is in favour of a contest. He, however, supports Kalam. According to him, he wants to see Pranab challenged.
Meanwhile, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of Odisha and the AIADMK have said that that they back PA Sangma.
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