Pawar meets Sonia over presidential poll

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to evolve "consensus" on the presidential election due in July.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to evolve "consensus" on the presidential election due in July.

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"We want consensus on the candidate," NCP leader DP Tripathi told reporters after Pawar met Sonia, who heads the United Progressive Alliance.

Sources said the NCP's working committee met earlier in the day and discussed the candidature of Vice President Hamid Ansari for the post, who is being considered by the Congress.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad had come out in Ansari's support Tuesday. The opposition BJP has decided to put up its own candidate for the election.

President Pratibha Patil's five-year term expires in July but no date for the poll has been announced yet.