Prez candidate can be from any community, says Mulayam

New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) The Samajwadi Party on Friday said the next President should not be chosen on the basis of whether the person belongs to the backward, minority or scheduled caste community. Asked whether the party would support Pranab Mukherjee's candidature for the President's post, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said, "I have not heard anybody's name. Nobody has told me about this" "As far as the President is concerned, whether the person is from minority, backward or scheduled caste community, it does not matter," he said when asked if the next President should be from the minority communty. Asked about his meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday , the SP Chief said, "This is not my first meeting with her. It is understood that if two political parties will meet, they will discuss something. Meanwhile in Bangalore, the Global Council of Indian Christians appealed to the UPA and the NDA to choose a Christian for the post of President. The GCIC proposed the candidature of Margaret Alva, (the current Uttarakhand Governor), because she has "tremendous amount of administrative experience and stature of stateswoman needed for the post of President". GCIC National President Sajan K George said Alva belongs to the Christian minority community, "which is not given proper representation in the government and so feels alienated,". Other minority communities such as Muslims and Sikhs were given the post of President but not Christians. "It is the turn of a Christian now," he said. He appealed to the NDA and the Congress that they may name any other Christian also -- Defence Minister A K Antony or senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, for example. In Delhi , BJP leader Mukhtar Naqvi on Friday said there should be a consensus on the candidate.         "There should be a consensus on the presidential candidate which will enhance the dignity of Rashtrapati Bhawan," the BJP leader told reporters outside Parliament. Asked whether the party will support the Congress candidate, he said, "There are no names. UPA has not declared any names formally. Congress and UPA should first announce name for presidential candidate formally and then only we will discuss." He said, "Arriving at consensus will be an ideal situation for the presidential election. But it all depends how the Congress and UPA decide their candidates."