BSP to announce Prez candidate in 2 days: Mayawati

Lucknow, June 5: The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh will open its cards on the Presidential candidate in a day or two, Chief minister and party president Mayawati announced here today.

Talking to reporters at a hurriedly convened press conference, Ms Mayawati said she was holding back her party's mind on the Presidential candidate's name due to the Taj Heritage Corridor (THC) case pending in the CBI court today. ''Since the proceedings have been dropped against me, I will announce the BSP's decision in a couple of days,'' she said.

She claimed that the party was holding back its decision on the issue as it wanted to dispel speculations that the matter had anything to do with the THC case.

Visibly elated over the CBI court's decision to drop proceedings against her, the Chief Minister said she would make the announcement with regards to Presidential candidate in New Delhi. She, however, refused to give any hint about her party's position on the issue while making it clear that the choice of the presidential candidate would be independent of today's court decision.

UNI