New Delhi: PA Sangma, adamant on running for President of India, has resigned from the party that he co-founded several years ago with Sharad Pawar. Mr Sangma says he has no choice but to quit the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is a member of the ruling coalition, the UPA.

Party chief Sharad Pawar has accepted his resignation.

Mr Sangma had been urged by his party to withdraw from the race. The NCP has committed its support to the UPA's candidate, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Till this morning, the party was hopeful of persuading him to withdraw from the contest.

 

The main opposition party, the BJP, is considering whether to throw its weight behind Mr Sangma. Nitish Kumar, an important ally of the BJP, does not want to oppose Mr Mukherjee for President. According to sources, the Bihar Chief Minister has told the BJP that he will not back Mr Sangma.

Another partner, the Shiv Sena, has already announced that it will vote for Mr Mukherjee because the BJP-led coalition, the NDA, has failed to find a worthy candidate. 

Lauding A P J Abdul Kalam for withdrawing from the Presidential race, Shiv Sena today said in an editorial in its magazine that it wanted the "conscience" of the other presidential hopeful, P A Sangma, to also awaken. 

Senior BJP leaders will meet at LK Advani's home this evening. Now that Mr Sangma is no longer a member of a party that is allied with the Congress, the BJP will find it easier to back him. Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy, met Mr Sagma this afternoon on behalf of the NDA.