Lagarde says India positive on IMF job, next stop China

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said today that Indian officials had positive views on her credentials as she contests for the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and that she hoped to get a view on China's position later this week.

But Lagarde did not say if the Indian government backed her candidacy, adding that many countries would wait until June 10 before announcing who they would support."Many African countries have expressed, publicly for some and privately for others, their support for my candidacy," Lagarde told CNBC TV.

"My suspicion frankly, is that a lot of countries are going to wait until June 10, because that is the closing of candidacy filing," she added.Lagarde described her meetings with Indian officials as "excellent". She is in India seeking support for her candidacy.

"I don't think I will betray their confidence in saying that they (Indian leaders) expressed positive views about my skills and credentials," she said.Lagarde added that a pending legal case in France involving her would not be an issue for her candidacy and that the case had no grounding.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters earlier that India had not given any commitment to support Lagarde.