No grudge against Mamata for supporting Pranab: Sangma

New Delhi, Jul 18: Presidential candidate

said on Wednesday that he had no grudge against Trinamool Congress chief

for supporting his rival Pranab Mukherjee, saying all parties have their own "compulsions and calculations".

Asked if he was disappointed at Banerjee's decision, Sangma said, "No, no, she has every right to decide for her party. I have nothing against her...I tried to reach out to her. I met her and requested her. That was my duty and she had given me a patient hearing, and also gave me some hope." Sangma had earlier met Banerjee in Kolkata to solicit her support.

After the meeting, the former NCP leader expressed the hope that TMC, a UPA ally, would support him. However, Banerjee had not promised him anything. The former Lok Sabha Speaker, who is being backed by some opposition parties including the BJP, accepted that TMC not voting for him was a setback. "Naturally, every vote is valuable," he said. But the tribal leader, who was reportedly mulling over filing a petition in the Supreme Court against Mukherjee for allegedly holding an office of profit, was still hopeful of pulling out a final victory. "You wait till Jul 22," he said when asked about his prospects and plans.

PTI