Subramanian Swamy meets Sangma

New Delhi, Jun 20: As NDA struggled to firm up a decision on its support to P A Sangma in presidential polls, leader of its one of its constituent Janata Party today met the former Lok Sabha Speaker and claimed consensus in the opposition alliance for his candidature.

The meeting of Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy and Sangma took place just before the latter publicised his resignation from NCP. Swamy, an ally of NDA, said he met his old friend Sangma, the former Lok Sabha Speaker who has been named as their candidate by AIADMK and BJD, and was told by the NCP leader that he was not backing off from the presidential race.

Even before Sangma came out to officially delink himself from NCP, which had asked him not to contest against UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee, Swamy claimed Sangma is quitting the party.

He said the NDA meeting at senior BJP leader L K Advani's residence will take a final call on whether to support Sangma. "Sangma is a candidate of Jayalalithaa and Naveen Patnaik and the only question that remains is whether NDA will back him.

Final decision will be taken at the NDA meeting. I can only say consensus is in favour of supporting the candidate of Jayalalithaa and Patnaik," he told reporters. Swamy claimed Sangma was "unhappy" with NCP and Congress and feels that he was insulted because he is from North-East and is a tribal.

He also claimed Sangma told him that he wanted to protect his self respect. Swamy had earlier tried to rope in former president A P J Abdul Kalam to enter the fray on behalf of the opposition alliance.

PTI