New Delhi, June 16 (IBNS): Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel on Saturday said former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma does not enjoy the support of the party as a candidate for the Presidential poll.
"Let me make it very clear that PA Sangma does not enjoy support of the NCP," the Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister told NDTV.
"We wish that he (Sangma) does not contest," he said.
"I do not think he should defy the party's direction or the line of thinking," Patel said.
He said the NCP will support United Progressive Alliance (UPA)'s candidate Pranab Mukherjee for the titular post.
"The party's direction and the line is to support Pranab Mukherjee unconditionally," Patel said.
NCP leader Sangma on Friday said he will fight the Presidential election.
"I am still in the Presidential poll race," Sangma told media.
"We all know that my candidature has been sponsored by two most powerful leaders of the country, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaaji and also Naveen Patnaikji, who is the Chief minister of Odisha," he said.
According to reports, NCP general secretary DP Triparthi asked Sangma to withdraw himself from the poll on instructions from party president Sharad Pawar.
Pertinently, Pawar met Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi on Thursday over the Presidential election and said the party will support UPA's candidate.
Sangma earlier met several top political leaders of the country including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat to seek their support.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) have backed Sangma as candidate for the Presidential election.
AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa had appealed to all political parties to 'rise above political considerations' and back Sangma as candidate for the Presidential election.
