Prez election: Congress welcomes Trinamool's support to Pranab

"The Congress President has appealed to all political parties and electorate who form the presidential electoral college to support Pranab Mukherjee's candidature. We want to thank all political parties which have come forward to support Mukherjee.

"This (TMC support) will further strengthen his election campaign and he will emerge victories with far greater majority," party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters.

When asked specifically on how does Congress feels as its ally TMC has finally supported Mukherjee's candidature after a great deal of suspense, he said, "as far as Trinamool Congress is concerned we have just come to know that they have supported Mukherjee's candidature.

"We are grateful to them as well," he said.

Asked to respond to Banerjee's contention that she was hurt with the statements made by Congress on the issue, Tewari said, "we have given the reaction which we had to give."