Cong hopeful of UPA candidate winning Prez poll

New Delhi, June 6: The Congress today expressed the hope that a strong and secular person supported by the UPA allies will emerge as President of India in the election to be held next month.

"Talks are on with the UPA allies for selecting a candidate (acceptable to all) but I can not comment further," Congress Spokesperson Jayanti Natrajan said.

Asked whether the UPA candidate to be put for the Presidential poll would be necessarily from the Congress, she told reporters,"I am not authorised to speak anything on this issue." Replying to a question, Ms Natrajan said the Congress was not perturbed at the prospects of a Third Front to be formed in the national politics. "It is a natural process in a democracy and is a sign of a healthy democracy." "We (UPA) will emerge more successful than ever before," she said and rebutted the charge that the economic policy of the UPA Government had turned out to be detrimental to the interest of the country.

"The Government has acted in good faith and tried to fulfil the Common Minimum Programme and has been totally committed to inclusive growth," she said and described as unjustified the Opposition criticism in this regard.

UNI