New Delhi:
Former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma on Friday said that he will contest the presidential elections and is not out of the race. "I am very much in the race. I will remain in the race...Because I am standing not as a NCP candidate, I am standing on behalf of 100,000,000 Adivasis of this nation," the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader said.
Mr Sangma claims, its not just Jayalaithaa's AIADMK, or Naveen Patnaik's BJD, he also has the support of several political parties.
Meanwhile, NCP sources have indicated that Mr Sangma is likely to be expelled from the party if he does decide to file nominations and contest the polls. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has already said that his party will support whomever the Congress chooses.
Senior BJP leader LK Advani today said Jayalalithaa had discussed Mr Sangma's candidature when they met on Thursday. "Sangma had good term as the Speaker of Lok Sabha. He belongs to North East, is tribal...but I told Jayalalithaa, I will have to consult BJP and NDA," Mr Advani said adding that the Tamil Nadu CM agreed that her party and the BJP should coordinate their efforts
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, with her Odisha counterpart, had appealed to all parties to "rise above political differences" and back Mr Sangma, a leader from the tribal community.
Ms Jayalalithaa has personally held talks with BJP leader LK Advani, CPM leader Prakash Karat, CPI leader AB Bardhan, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav in a bid to garner support for Mr Sangma.