New Delhi: Amid intense speculation over Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as the UPA's Presidential nominee, NCP on Tuesday said the next President will be a seniormost person who is acceptable to all.
"India's President will be acceptable to all. He will be a seniormost person, who will be congratulated by the entire country," NCP General Secretary DP Tripathi told reporters here to a volley of questions on the Presidential polls.
He said the UPA constituents will meet soon after the Election Commission announces the schedule of the Presidential polls to decide on their nominee for the country's top Constitutional post.
To questions whether the NCP will accept the UPA candidate, Tripathi said the candidate will be a nominee of the UPA. "We will be a party to the UPA decision. Why do you want to separate the NCP from the UPA?" he said.
On NCP leader P A Sangma's candidature in the Presidential polls, Tripathi said the NCP was a part of the UPA and cannot talk of any other candidate.
Tripathi said he did not find anything wrong in the intense speculation over the possible Presidential candidates.
"In a democracy, you cannot stop people from talking," he said.
To a question, he said that it was the prerogative of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to decide on his Council of Ministers.
"Dr Manmohan Singh will decide who will be getting which ministry. We have no doubt in his competence or ability to do so," Tripathi said.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 00:30