Presidential polls: Congress should have taken Mamata Banerjee into confidence, says Gopinath Munde

THANE: With Congress virtually isolating Mamata Banerjee by naming PranabMukherjee as UPA's nominee for Presidential poll, senior BJP leader GopinathMunde today said the party should have taken the Trinamool Congress chief into confidence before endorsing Mukherjee's candidature.

"Congress should have taken TMC into confidence while selecting the Presidential candidate...There is clearly a lack of leadership in UPA," Munde told reporters here.

He was speaking to reporters before addressing a rally in support of the party nominee Sanjay Kelkar for the Konkan Graduates constituency polls slated for July 2.

Seeking to downplay its alliance partner Shiv Sena skipping the crucial NDA meeting today in Delhi on Presidential candidate, Munde said Shiv Sena was a "trusted partner".

"I met Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray today and held talks with him. The party not attending one meeting does not mean it is not with us," the BJP Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha said.

"Our leader Lal Krishna Advani had already met Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray," he said without elaborating.

With BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani threatening to throw his hat in the ring for July 19 Presidential election if BJP backs Pranab's candidature, Munde said," it is his (Jethmalani's) personal view and the party has nothing to do with it".

Munde also dismissed reports regarding possibility of the mid-term polls.

Taking on the Prithviraj Chavan government, Munde said the Maharashtra government has failed to check the instances of female foeticides.