New Delhi, June 19: Seeking to keep Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in good humour ahead of Presidential poll, Congress on Tuesday said she had not crossed the limit by suggesting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s name for the post of President.

Asked whether the Trinamool Congress supremo had crossed the limit in suggesting Singh’s name as a Presidential candidate, Shakeel Ahmad, AICC in-charge of West Bengal said “she had suggested a few names and I don’t think she has crossed the limit”.

Congress leaders had been unhappy with Banerjee for going public with the discussions she had with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on the Presidential issue.

Ahmad said Congress will reach out to Banerjee to seek her support for Mukherjee and was hopeful that Banerjee would support him in the July 19 Presidential elections.

Contending that Banerjee had not made a single statement against Mukherjee since the announcement of his candidature, Ahmad said “we are hopeful that she will lead West Bengal to vote for Pranab Mukherjee in Presidential elections to ensure enblock support to him in the state.”

He said he has advised party workers in West Bengal to exercise restraint. The state unit of the party had demanded that the party snap its ties with Trinamool Congress.

Talk in Congress circles is that Mukherjee is expected to visit West Bengal on June 22 – his first to his home state since the announcement of his candidature for the Presidential polls.

It is widely expected that Mukherjee would utilize the opporutunity to bring on board the West Bengal Chief Minister on the issue of Presidential polls. (PTI)