As the Congress leads charge to build a consensus among Opposition candidate for upcoming Presidential election, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) today rallied around the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), saying the state’s ruling party could ‘support the ruling coalition's nominee if it helps the state’.
"We have been with NDA whenever it benefited Telangana. We are not with NDA if it is against Telangana," AP Jitender Reddy, TRS' leader in the Lok Sabha, was quoted as saying by PTI.
With Opposition parties trying to put up a common nominee for the poll, Reddy's comments would boost the NDA's chances of installing its candidate in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Reddy said that the TRS would take a final decision on the matter at an ‘appropriate time’ after assessing whether the NDA needed its support.
The presidential election has to be held before July 24 when incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee's term ends.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been holding consultations with a number of Opposition leaders in a bid to field a joint candidate for the top constitutional post.
TRS, which has 15 MPs, is also being supported by two Lok Sabha members -- Malla Reddy of the TDP and P Srinivasa Reddy of the YSR Congress.
The electoral college clearly favours the NDA choice for the top constitutional post, more so after the BJP’s resounding win in the Uttar Pradesh polls.
Though the BJP-led ruling coalition at the Centre is still short of a clear majority, its leaders are confident of getting the required support.
(With PTI inputs)
