Exclusive: Pranab on Presidency

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Keywords: Pranab Mukherjee, Karan Thapar

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee spoke to CNN-IBN's Karan Thapar in an exclusive interview on the Presidential elections.

In the candid conversation, Mukherjee appeared confident of UPA's candidate emerging the winner.

Karan Thapar: How confident are you that the UPA President whoever he or she might be can win if the opponent is Shekhawat?

Pranab Mukherjee: Arithmetic is clearly in favour of UPA and it's supporters.

Karan Thapar: So UPA will win?

Pranab Mukherjee: Of course.

Karan Thapar: What about Mr Shekhawat's capacity to win support from all different parties, which he showed as Vice President - he could eat into your support.

Pranab Mukherjee: Taste of pudding is in the eating. We are going to face the elections if he wants to contest. And if he contests the results will be known.

Karan Thapar: Has Mayawati assured the UPA that she will support your candidate, or does it depend on who the candidate is?

Pranab Mukherjee: I am not disclosing these things before the election thing is over.

Karan Thapar: I promised you at the beginning of the interview that I wouldn't bring up the question of your candidature, I am not going to break that promise, but since all the papers say that are vital to this government, and that without you this government would not be able to survive, don't you think that it is fitting and fair that you be made Deputy PM?

Pranab Mukherjee: These all things are totally irrelevant because who will be made Deputy PM or who will be made ministers of which ministry totally depends on the political establishment that runs the Government - that is the PM, and the president of the ruling party. NO individual other than these two are concerned here.

Watch the complete interview with Pranab Mukherjee on Devil’s Advocate, Sunday 2030 hrs IST. The transcript will be available on IBNLive.com