Pranab prepared to talk to Mamata when she is ready

Kolkata: UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said he would talk to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee when she is ready to talk to him.

"I am ready to talk to Mamata Banerjee as and when she is ready to talk to me," Mukherjee told reporters in the Assembly premises when asked if he will write to TMC supremo seeking her party's support for his candidature.

Mukherjee said ever since his candidature was announced for the July 19 presidential poll, he hoped that the TMC would support him.

"I understand that they have not taken any decision yet. I hope when they take their decision, they will support me," he said after meeting Congress MLAs, MPs besides those of the CPI-M and All India Forward Bloc who expressed support to his candidature in the presidential election.

Mukherjee declined to take any further question on the issue, saying "I will not say anything more". Meanwhile,Trinamool Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee said that Mukherjee should have telephoned Mamata Banerjee to ascertain if she would talk to him or not.

"Pranab Mukherjee should know if Mamata Banerjee will talk to him or not and he should have telephoned him to ascertain that and this requires no mediator," Subrata, the state panchayat minister, told reporters.

In an oblique reference to Mukherjee's meeting with MPs and MLAs of CPI(M) and Forward Bloc in the Assembly in his bid to seek support to his candidature, Subrata Mukherjee went on to say, "Some people feel comfortable in the company of CPI(M)."

He said that Trinamool Congress had no candidate, but APJ Kalam was its choice as the candidate for presidential election. State urban development minister Firhad Hakim said, "We also fought election in the past and sought votes from all, even from CPI(M) knowing well it will not support". In an obvious reference to TMC, Pranab Mukherjee said barring one, all other constituents of the UPA have supported him besides other parties including JD(U), Shiv Sena, CPI-M, All India Forward Bloc, DSP, Samajwadi party, BSP, RJD, LJP etc.

Mukherjee said that he was visiting various states to express his thanks and gratitude to those who have expressed their support to him.