New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday to discuss the upcoming Presidential Election.
The Trinamool Congress leader yesterday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and conveyed that her party was in favour of a consensus candidate for the presidential poll.
"We want a consensus candidate. This is good for the country," Banerjee told reporters here.
She is also learnt to have backed another term for President Pranab Mukherjee if the government proposes his name, sources said. Notably, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on Monday suggested that Mukherjee be given another term.
Banerjee said no names were discussed at the 40-minute meeting, which was also attended by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
The West Bengal CM added Sonia Gandhi, who has been holding talks with opposition parties to decide a common candidate, will hold further consultations and she would again meet her in about a week after the process is completed.
The term of President Pranab Mukherjee ends in July. The ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, which has clear edge in the Presidential Election, has not given any inkling so far on its choice of candidate.
Sonia Gandhi has been contacting leaders opposed to the ruling BJP to evolve a consensus.
She has spoken to Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad and met JD-U leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah.
The Congress chief is also expected to meet Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati.
Among the names doing the rounds as consensus candidates of the opposition are of former governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar.
(With IANS inputs)
