Pranab now wants ex-PM Gowda’s help

UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee conducted a whirlwind campaign on his three-hour visit to Bangalore on Sunday, seeking support from not just Congress but reaching out to a spectrum of political outfits.

He arrived on a special flight after meeting Congress legislators in Andhra Pradesh. The former Union finance minister addressed party legislators at KPCC building on Queen’s Road in the city.

Addressing mediapersons, he said: “I am here to meet members of electoral college. After submitting my nomination paper for the presidential polls, I am visiting all the states to seek support of MLAs and MPs of all the parties. In UPA, except one party, all of them have extended their support to my candidature. Parties that have not identified with the UPA too have extended their support, include JD(U), Shiv Sena, CPI(M), JD(S) and others. If someone has not taken the decision yet, I request them to take a decision in my favour.”

Many of the Congress leaders, including KPCC president G Parameshwar, opposition party leader Siddaramaiah, Union ministers Mallikarjuna Kharge, H Muniyappa and party in-charge of the state Madhusudan Mistry were present.

After meeting the Congress legislators, Mukherjee went to JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda’s house at Padamanabhanagar. Mukherjee had a brief meeting with the former prime minister and thanked him for supporting his candidature.

Interestingly, former health minister B Sriramulu too met Mukherjee and assured him of his and his followers’ support. It is said that some of the BJP MLAs and MPs who are supporting Sriramulu will support the candidature of Mukherjee.