Consensus on Presidential candidate by June 15

New Delhi, June 14: Even as consensus eluded the UPA and the Left parties on their nominee for the Presidentship, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today expressed confidence that they would announce their candidate for the coveted post by tomorrow.

''The talks are proceeding in the right direction. I can't disclose the names being discussed but we should be in a position to announce our nominee by tomorrow morning or evening,' he told reporters here after a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Earlier in the day, top Left leaders had called on Mr Karunanidhi at the new Tamil Nadu House.

Asked why talks were dragging on, he said ''this is not a simple issue. We have to decide our candidate for the Presidentship. We can't take a hasty decision.'' On whether the candidate's name had been finalised, he quipped 'No' but added ''we are reaching towards our goal.'' When a reporter asked him if the Left parties had relaxed their stand, Mr Karunanidhi said ''nobody will relax his or her stand.'' He said all parties would converge their stand to arrive at a consensus on the issue.

Asked what would happen if the Left leaders refused to change their stand, Mr Karunanidhi said the question was 'hypothetical'.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, after meeting the Prime Minister, told mediapersons that the picture would become clear by tomorrow. ''I hope by tomorrow the picture would be clear.'' Asked if there was any progress on the Left's suggestion for a 'strong and formidable' candidate for the Presidentship, he said ''Yes, we have proposed some names.'' He declined to give the details of his meeting with Dr Manmohan Singh, saying the discussions were still in progress.

The Left leaders told the Prime Minister that the UPA should first finalise its candidate within the ruling coalition.

Other Left leaders who attended the meeting with the Prime Minister included CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury and CPI National Secretary D Raja.

UNI