Presidential polls: Mamata Banerjee meets Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi has been meeting leaders of opposition parties in an attempt to gather consensus

New Delhi, May 16: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday. The Presidential election was prime agenda in the meeting between the two leaders.

Speaking to the media after the meet, Mamata Banerjee said that the two discussed multiple political issues, "President election was also discussed along with political issues but no discussion was held on the name for the elections," she added.

According to the sources, Sonia Gandhi had invited her on the phone to discuss the presidential elections. Banerjee, who is in Delhi is also likely to hold meetings with leaders from other parties like Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and other parties.

But the political alignment is creating a kind of uneasiness in Kolkata, where Congress supports the arch- enemy of state's ruling Trinamool Congress. The two parties are trying to play down the impression by shaking hands.

It is said that ahead of the meeting, Bengal Congress chief Adhir Choudhury wrote to Sonia Gandhi advising her to deal carefully with Mamata, discussion of anything could injure the Congress in the state.

With President Pranab Mukherjee's term set to end in July, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi has met leaders of several parties in the last few weeks to discuss the possibility of a joint candidate for the upcoming presidential polls.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)