Even as the Congress leadership continued further consultations on the selection of a Presidential candidate, the Samajwadi Party — the United Progressive Alliance's supporting partner — and the opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) sought to make it clear that their backing for the Congress nominee should not be taken for granted. Emphasising that the SP was with the UPA only to “keep communal forces at bay,” party president Mulayam Singh, whose support would be crucial, reiterated that his party would favour a political candidate for the top post, not a bureaucrat.