BJP goes for damage control on Presidential candidate talks

NEW DELHI: After the snub from ally, BJP today sought to do some damage control by attempting a patch up with JD(U) even as party president Nitin Gadkari spoke of approaching some UPA constituents to discuss a possible Presidential candidate.

Gadkari complained that the government had not consulted his party, the principal opposition, on the issue. Had it come up with a name of a person, who is independent, impartial and fair to reach a consensus BJP would have considered it, he said.

A day after differences surfaced in the NDA, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj today met JD (U) Sharad Yadav, who is also the NDA convenor, and is believed to have tried to patch up issues with him on her remarks on the Presidential election.

Sources said the meeting came about after senior BJP leader L K Advani expressed the view that NDA should not appear to be divided on the Presidential candidate.

Differences surfaced in the NDA yesterday over her remarks opposing opposing any Congress move to nominate Pranab Mukherjee or Vice President Hamid Ansari as a candidate.

Yadav took serious objection to her statement saying it was not his party's views and the issue had so far not been discussed in the NDA.

Sources said after the meeting between Swaraj and Yadav both the parties have agreed not to air views on the issue till a meeting of the NDA is held and a decision is taken on the Presidential candidate.