The Congress has meanwhile blamed Mamata Banerjee for the political mess over the Presidential candidate choice in an apparent bid to drive a wedge between her Trinamool Congress and Mulyam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party. 

"You must have noticed that the initiative to present alternative names came mainly from Banerjee and not not Yadav," a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity.   

The Cong leader felt that the SP chief did not intend to oppose UPA nominees but could not say no to Banerjee, who was apparently furious on coming to know about Pranab Mukherjee's candidature for the high post.   

Indications from Congress are that the party is veering round to a view that it cannot allow any troublesome ally to dictate terms on an issue like Presidential poll and that the party has to prepare for any eventuality. "We still consider she is our ally. We will not ask her to leave," the leader said when asked whether  the Congress-Trinamool ties will remain intact after this show-down between them on the issue of Presidential polls.