New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday (Nov 19,2006) said he never wanted to be the Deputy Prime Minister and said it was decided that this post was 'not necessary' in the UPA coalition Government.

Asked whether he thought the position of the Deputy Prime Minister was beyond reach or unnecessary" he said "We are running a coalition government. We will have to keep in view various balances, permutations and combinations."

"Keeping that in view, it was decided that this position was not necessary", Mukherjee told sources.

To a specific question on whether he wanted to be the Deputy Prime Minister, Mukherjee said "neither did I want to be Deputy Prime Minister nor was it ever decided to take this decision".

Asked whether Congress President Sonia Gandhi's remark that there would be no such post was directed at him, Mukherjee retorted "why should it be directed at me? Who told you that I am going to be the Deputy Prime Minister".

When the questioner said it was speculation, he said "Absolutely, it was speculation. It was directed only at the speculators, not at me".