Mukherjee to resign tomorrow as FM, wants Mamata's support

Prior to his resignation as the Minister after two years in office, Mukherjee, the UPA nominee, toured Kolkata and some other places of his home state.

"This is my last visit to Kolkata as the Finance Minister because I am going to demit my office on (June) 24th," he said today before leaving for his ancestral home in Birbhum.

"After that I will not be able to speak anything either on government or on party matters," he said.

77-year-old Mukherjee was made Finance Minister after UPA-II came to power in May 2009. Earlier in UPA-I, the veteran Congress leader held the portfolios of Defence and External Affairs.

Sources earlier said that Mukherjee is expected to file his nomination papers for the Presidential election on June 28. Four sets of nomination papers, each having 50 proposers and seconders, are being readied for him.

Speaking to reporters here, Mukherjee made a veiled appeal for support to Trinamool Congress, which broke ranks with the UPA over the issue and has not committed its backing to him.

"Except for one partner all UPA allies have supported my candidature. Non-UPA partners like Samjawadi Party, BSP, besides other parties like CPI(M), AIFB, JD(U), Shiv Sena have also supported my candidature.

"My prayer is that those who have not yet taken a decision please support the UPA presidential candidate," he said. MORE