New Delhi:
Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani revealed on Monday that Pranab Mukherjee had called him soon after his candidature for the president's post was announced, but did not ask for support.
Mentioning the call by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the day Mr Mukherjee's candidature was announced, Mr Advani said, "Shortly thereafter, I received yet another phone call - from Pranab da himself".
In his blog published on Monday morning, he also remembered his "cordial relations" with Mr Mukherjee all through their political career. (
Read blog here)
"He (Mukherjee) conveyed that he had been nominated. But he did not ask for support. He just reminisced about how since 1970, we had been together in parliament, sharing bonds of mutual esteem and affection," Mr Advani said in his blog.
Mr Mukherjee, in his call, mentioned an incident when Mr Advani had insisted they have lunch together the day he retired from the Rajya Sabha.
"I well remember how warm and cordial our interaction was not just for that day, but has been for all these years," Mr Advani said.
Pranab Mukherjee is the ruling United Progressive Alliance's candidate for the president's post. Even as BJP leaders have on more than one occasion expressed "respect" for Mr Mukherjee, the party has decided to support former Lok Sabha speaker P. Sangma in the presidential race.