India's ruling Congress party yesterday bade a warm farewell to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is set to become the country's president, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying the veteran leader will be missed.
He is expected to resign from the government and the party today.
At a special meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party chief Sonia Gandhi personally bade farewell to 76-year-old Mukherjee, the chief troubleshooter of the party and UPA led by it and expressed confidence that he would win the July 19 presidential election with a huge margin.
Mukherjee will file nomination for the presidential poll on June 28, AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters after the CWC meeting.
Sonia Gandhi hailed Mukherjee as the senior most member of the CWC and said it was a matter of great pleasure that the UPA has made him a presidential candidate.
Singh said Mukherjee's absence will be felt as he discharged many duties in the government.
A visibly emotional Mukherjee, who had held a number of key posts in the party and the government, said he has got much more from the party than what he had given.
He said he always considered himself a true Congressman and did whatever is good for the party.
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