The Congress Core Group meeting is on at the PM's residence at 7 Racecourse Road.

The CPI meanwhile says it favoured a Dalit woman as the next President, but did not spell out any name for the top Constitutional post. It may be recalled that Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, a Dalit, has also been nominated.

Top CPI leader AB Bardhan said neither the Congress nor the UPA have spoken with the Left parties or come out with any name for the Presidential elections. "Mahatma Gandhi has said one good thing... among many other good things that a Dalit woman should be made President," he told reporters.

 
However, Bardhan said, he did not mean Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar when he talked about a Dalit woman as the next president. "Sorry. I am not taking any names," he said. 

Asked on whether the Left parties would support Pranab Mukherjee, Bardhan said, "I cannot answer to your questions which are full of ifs." To a question whether the Left can afford not to support Mukherjee, the former CPI general secretary said he should not be asked such questions on whether somebody is acceptable or not. "We will wait and watch. Left parties are meeting on June 21 to firm up our strategy," he said.

Pictured: Meira Kumar, a Dalit, is one of the names doing the rounds.