Pratibha Patil resigns as Governor of Rajasthan

Jaipur, June 21: Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil today resigned from the post to contest the July 19 Presidential poll as UPA-Left candidate.

She will file her nomination papers on June 23.

Accompanied by AICC Spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan, Ms Patil called on President A P J Abdul Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and submitted her resignation letter.

Seventy-three-year old Patil has been Rajasthan Governor since 2004.

She will be formally introduced at a meeting of the AICC office bearers and Congress Chief Ministers at Congress President Sonia Gandhi's residence at 10 Janpath.

The meeting, scheduled to be held in the evening, will finalise a campaign strategy for Ms Patel who will be the first woman President if she wins the election.

UNI