Congress discusses campaign strategy for Presidential poll

New Delhi, June 21 (UNI) Senior Congress leaders today chalked out a campaign strategy for UPA-Left Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AICC office bearers and Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states attended the meeting at 10 Janpath residence of Ms Gandhi.

Ms Patil, who had earlier in the day resigned as Governor, was also present at the meeting.

The proceedings of the meeting started with Ms Gandhi formally introducing Ms Patil to the AICC office bearers and Congress Chief Ministers.

Briefing mediapersons after the 90-minute-long meeting, AICC media incharge Janardhan Dwivedi told mediapersons that the meeting did not discuss the situation arising out of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's willingness for a second term if there was ''certainty'' about his victory but only the planning and activity for the campaign.

''We only discussed the preparedness for the election and defined the role of party functionaries at different levels and of the party Chief Ministers,''he said.

Mr Dwivedi said that Ms Patil would file her nomination papers at 1130 hrs on Saturday and later tour all the states but the programme was not yet finalised.

Responding to a question, he reiterated the meeting did not discuss the situation following Dr Kalam's willingness for a second term, asserting that the party was firm on the candidature of Ms Patil.

Barring J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, all the other Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states were present at the meeting.

UNI