Do not bring Prez poll to ordinary level: Pranab

"I have appealed to all political parties not to bring the campaign to the level of ordinary elections because presidential election has its own significance and stature," Mukherjee said in an apparent reference to Sangma playing the tribal card during his visit here on Wednesday. Sangma had said he was sure that legislators from tribal-dominated Jharkhand would vote for him as he was a tribal.

In another apparent reference to Sangma saying whips of political parties carry no weight in Presidential elections, Mukherjee said it was expected that members of parties would go by their parties` decisions. "Please remember that in this election, members of the electoral college, (are) almost 99 percent are of party nominees (legislators), besides the independents," he said. "So, with (political) parties taking a decision, it is expected that the members will go along party lines," Mukherjee said at a press conference here.