Mulayam evades comment on Kalam's candidature

As speculation mounted over his party's stand on backing the candidature of APJ Abdul Kalam, proposed jointly with TMC, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today appeared to leave the issue vague avoiding any comments on it.

Shortly after Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee claimed in Delhi that both her party and SP were sticking to the candidature of Kalam, Yadav arrived here for a private event.

"I have not come here to do politics. I have come here. We have some family links and I have come to attend (an event)," he told reporters who sought his comments on Mamata's remarks in Delhi.

There has been speculation since last evening that Samajwadi Party may have a rethink on backing Kalam which it had jointly proposed with TMC along with the names of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Speaker Somnath Chatterjee as Presidential candidates.