Update on the presidential poll nominations: ANI reports that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will forward MS Swaminathan's name to Amit Shah if the BJP does not agree to (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat's candidature for the President. Swaminathan is a renowned agriculture scientist.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the government has not come forward with any name for the Presidential election and the party would wait for a name. 

Union ministers Rajnath Singh and M Venkaiah Naidu today met Congress President Sonia Gandhi to discuss the Presidential poll as part of the ruling BJP's outreach to stitch a consensus on the official nominee.

Singh and Naidu arrived at Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence to help evolve an agreement on the crucial election scheduled for July 17. The meeting lasted for 30 minutes.

Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge were also present in the meeting, seen as the first major BJP outreach with the opposition on the significant matter.


The meeting comes barely two days after a sub group of opposition leaders constituted by Gandhi met in Azad's  Parliament chamber to discuss the opposition strategy. The meeting had decided to wait for the government proposal on the matter before taking a further view.

Read our 2008 interview with MS Swaminathan here