Kolkata, Jun 14 (IANS): Lashing out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for indirectly rejecting the name of union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for the president's post, Congress MP Adhir Choudhury Thursday accused her of pursuing a "politics of vendetta" over not getting a financial package for Bengal.

"She is actually pursuing vindictive politics. As she has been demanding an unconstitutional and out-of-turn financial package - which is quite impossible in a democratic set-up - and she has failed to squeeze it out till date, that is why she has opposed Pranab-da's candidature for the top job. Because Pranab-da has not given in to her demands," said Choudhury.

"It is nothing but politics of vendetta and jealousy. But in the long run, she will have to answer for this political miscalculation she has committed by objecting to Pranab-da's candidature. We will see whether the new president of India, whoever it may be, can provide a financial package to Bengal," he said.

Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee was at the centre of a political drama Wednesday when she stunned everyone by announcing three new names, including that of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as her and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's preferences for the presidency.

Banerjee, who met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Wednesday evening, was the one who made the announcement that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was the first choice of the Congress for the president's post followed by Vice President Hamid Ansari.

Immediately after meeting Gandhi, she held talks with Mulayam Singh Yadav. She had met the SP chief Tuesday night soon after arriving in the capital from Kolkata.

But in a matter of an hour, Banerjee, with Mulayam Singh by her side, sprang a surprise by naming former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh and former Lok Sabha leader Somnath Chatterjee as their preferred choices.