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DMK adds to the din for Pranab

DNMUM243865 | 5/6/2012 | Author : DNA Correspondents | WC :546 | India

Though the Congress has not named its candidate, the finance minister has received a volley of endorsements
Race for Raisina Hill

Congress president Sonia Gandhi might maintain that the process of building a consensus for the next presidential elections is underway, but going by the steady stream of endorsements he has been receiving, Pranab Mukherjee seems like a popular choice amongst the political class. After the NCP made it known that it would prefer Mukherjee over the vice-president Hamid Ansari, it was the turn of DMK patriarch Muthuvel Karunanidhi to lend his support to the UPA government's most reliable trouble shooter.
"The Congress is yet to announce the name of the candidate for the Presidential election. The DMK will extend support to Pranab Mukherjee if the Congress selects him as the candidate," Karunanidhi told reporters. But Ka
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runanidhi declined to reveal whether Mukherjee's name was discussed when A K Antony, union defence minister, called on him last Sunday in Chennai. Though there was no media briefing after the Karunanidhi-Antony meeting held at the CIT colony residence of Rajathi Ammal, the former's third wife, the grapevine in Chennai has it that the leaders discussed the prospects of fielding vice president Hamid Ansari or Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar as the presidential candidate. "They did not discuss Pranab Mukherjee's name," said a close associate of Karunanidhi.
The DMK has 18 Lok Sabha members, seven Rajya Sabha representatives and 23 MLAs in Tamil Nadu assembly. Since the Congress does not have the numbers to elect the candidate of its choice to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the party is on a mission to enlist the support of all major political formations in the country except the BJP. Meanwhile, there are few signs to prove that the non-Congress camp is being able to coordinate its strategy well. Even J Jayalalitha who was expected to play a major role in galvanising the anti-UPA vote has candidly admitted that no party had approached her over the issue of presidential elections.

Who governs if he goes?
GROUPS OF MINISTERS (GoMs) MUKHERJEE IS PART OF
Corruption: GoM is considering measures that can be taken by the Government to tackle corruption
civil aviation sector: The GoM formed for the civil aviation sector is looking into the financial situation of airlines, the Airport Authority of India and possible remedial measures
TRADE: GoM considering issues relating to the World Trade Organisation
GoM seeking a consensus on trade in goods under the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between India and the ASEAN
Reforms: GoM considering the Reports of the Administrative Reforms Commission
LAW: GoM considering laws that relate to honour killing/crimes
paid news: GoM looking into the matter of ‘paid news’
National War Memorial: GoM deciding on the appropriate location of the National War Memorial
energy security: GoM coordinating an external interface on energy security matters
Agriculture: GoM reviewing the nation’s fertiliser policy
Nationalisation: GoM looking into the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2000
environment: GoM formed to consider environmental and developmental issues relating to coal mining and other developmental projects
GoM looking into the issue of inclusion of cold wave/frost as an eligible calamity for relief
POSITIONS HELD IN PARLIAMENT
Cabinet Minister of Finance
Member, Business Advisory Committee
Member, Committee on Privileges
Member, Committee on Rules
Chairman, Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs
Leader of the House, Lok Sabha
CABINET COMMITTEES that pranab IS IN
l Economic Affairs l Political Affairs l Parliamentary Affairs
l Security l World Trade Organisation matters l Prices
l Infrastructure l Unique Identification Authority of India related issues