Prez poll: Sangma seeks Jagan's support

Presidential candidate P A Sangma on Monday sought jailed YSR Congress party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy's support to his candidature for the upcoming Presidential election.

He also alleged that he was not allowed to meet Reddy personally in the Chanchalguda prison on Monday.

Sangma said he was first allowed to meet the south Indian leader at 9 am in the morning and was later postponed till 11 am.

He said the meeting was later cancelled on the instruction of the ´state government´ and ´Union government´ authorities.

"I went back to my hotel. I was proceeding to the jail at around 10.45 am so that I am able to be there between 11 and 12 as I have been told to be there by the jail authorities," Sangma told reporters.

"When we were about to reach the jail, my son James Sangma, who is an MLA, was informed by the jailer that my meeting with Jagan Mohan Reddy is cancelled and that I will not be allowed to meet him because my visit was going to be political", he said.

He said: "We explained to them that that is not political."

Sangma met Jagan´s mother Y S Vijaya Lakshmi and other party leaders in Hyderabad and sought their support.

Pertinently, Vijaya Lakshmi is the honorary president of the YSR Congress.

"I had a very, very fruitful discussion with them. I appealed to them to support my candidature in the coming Presidential election. They assured me that very soon that they will be calling the party office bearers´ meeting and the final decision will be taken," Sangma said.

Sangma will be contesting the upcoming Presidential poll against United Progressive Alliance (UPA)´s candidate Pranab Mukherjee.

The BJP on June 21 announced the former Lok Sabha Speaker as their candidate for the titular post.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have also backed Sangma as Presidential candidate.

The Presidential election will take place on July 19.