D Raja meets Sonia, discusses 'common candidate' for presidential poll

New Delhi: Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja met Congress President Sonia Gandhi here to discuss the upcoming presidential election and conveyed his party's stand to support a "common candidate" put up by all the "secular democratic parties".

"The issue of presidential election came up for discussion. I have expressed our party's position on presidential election. We will go along with other secular democratic parties to put up a common candidate. 

"We are also talking to other parties. If a common candidate is put up that will be good," Raja told IANS.

Raja also said no name for the candidature was discussed in the meeting, which took place on Monday.

"She listened to us and agreed with me. She has already met several people and is trying to reach out to others also," said Raja.

Raja said there were discussions on the current political situation and on the issue of cow vigilantism. 

"There is growing intolerance in the country and the situation demands some kind of united people's resistance and she also agreed to it," he said.

Sonia Gandhi had earlier met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury to discuss the upcoming presidential elections and the need to field a joint opposition candidate.