Perhaps only Ms Banerjee thought the UPA’s presidential nomination was not a foregone conclusion. Certainly, Pranab Mukherjee appeared to harbour no doubts. Even though the official announcement of his nomination was made at around 5 p m, the finance minister was seen graciously accepting congratulations from various TV editors and journalists as early as lunchtime on Friday. In fact, when he returned from the meeting at 7 Race Course Road, he had a prepared statement at the ready.
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