Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Against the backdrop of dramatic twists and turns in the Presidential race, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja on Thursday said that Left will announce its Presidential candidate after all the names are out in public domain.
On Manmohan Singh being named as a presidential candidate by Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav, Raja said, “It is for the Congress and UPA-II to respond". He also went on saying that Mamata and Mulayam should explain why they took prime minister’s name.
When asked about whether the Left is open to have talks with Congress, the CPI leader said, “We are open to talk to anyone if they are willing to approach us. In the past we had talks with AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa when she approached us for seeking our support for PA Sangma.”
Meanwhile, in a clear snub to the UPA allies Trinamool Congress and the Samajawadi Party, Congress today ended speculation on Dr Manmohan Singh becoming the party’s Presidential candidate by saying that he will continue as Prime Minister till 2014.
Speaking to reporters, Congress spokesperson Jnardan Dwivedi said, “We have said this umpteen times and I am repeating it again that Dr Manmohan Singh will continue to serve the country as Prime Minister till 2014 general Election and there is no doubt about it.”
