UPA Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee interacts with media on his arrival at NSCBI Airport in Kolkata. PTI Photo
"And now, when he is leaving party politics, he is again receiving help from the Left parties. He has been a very close friend of the CPI-M all through his life," he said.
The CPI-M has given support to Pranab in his bid to become the President whereas the Trinamool Congress, though being the most important ally of the Congress in the UPA coalition, is yet to make up its mind whether to support him.
The former Union finance minister will fight against former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, who is supported by the BJP, BJD, AIADMK and some other NDA constituents, in the July 19 presidential election.