Third Front not to support Pratibha: Jayalalithaa

Chennai, June 16: The AIADMK and other parties in the Third Front will not support the UPA's Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil, AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa said today. Talking to newspersons after the party's Executive Committee meeting here, she said the leaders of all the parties in the front have taken a conscious decision not to support the Congress nominee.

''It doesn't matter whether the candidate is a man or a woman. Personally we have nothing against Ms Patil. We have taken a conscious policy decision that we will not support the UPA candidate,'' she said.

As far as the AIADMK was concerned, we had also taken a firm stand not to support the UPA candidate, she said when asked whether she would mobilise support for the Congress candidate as she happened to be a woman candidate. ''As far as the AIADMK is concerned we had taken a firm stand not to support the UPA candidate,'' she added.

Asked whether the Third Front would also put up a woman candidate for the President's post, she said all these things would be discussed and decided in the meeting to be held here on June 18.

''We have three options, support the candidate who is already in the fray, put up our own candidate or abstain from voting'', Ms Jayalalithaa said. ''However, if there is a possibility of defeating the UPA candidate, we will press for it,''

Ms Jayalalithaa replied in the negative when asked whether the Congress had sought her support for Ms Patil. She said after former prime minister and Senior BJP Leader A B Vajpayee spoke to her over phone last week and sought her support, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat spoke to her over phone this morning and sought her party's support.'' She informed Mr Shekhawat that she cannot yet take a unilateral decision and it would be made in the meeting scheduled on June 18.

''There is no such idea...I have no such interest,'' Ms Jayalalithaa said when asked about reports that the third front might field her as it's candidate for the Presidentship.

Firmly ruling out party's support to DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan, if he was fielded by the party for the Vice Presidentship, she said the question of AIADMK supporting a DMK candidate did not arise at all.

The meeting to be held at her Poes Garden residence on June 18 would decide this, she said when asked whether she would head the Third Front.

Ms Jayalalithaa said she does not like the name ''Third Front'' and it would be given a new name on June 18, she added.

UNI