President poll: Left in favour of consensus candidate: Sitaram Yechury

THRISSUR (KER): CPI(M) today said it was in favour of a consensus candidate for Presidential poll and would disclose its stand on support only after the UPA announced its nominee.

Congress has not taken any initiative so far to discuss either with the CPI(M) or other Left parties on the Presidential candidate, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.

To a question on his party's stand in case Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee emerges as the Congress candidate, Yechury asked them if anyone of them had written five years ago that the present incumbent Pratibha Patil would be the Congress nominee for the top post.

Asked about the possibility of nominating Defence Minister A K Antony as the presidential nominee of the UPA, Yechury declined to comment.