NDA to fight for V-P's post

NEW DELHI: The NDA is likely to meet here on July 21 to finalise its nominee for the post of vice-president. The present incumbent, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat’s term comes to an end on August, and the election for his successor will be held on August 10.

With the UNPA, which on Saturday reiterated its resolve to abstain from the presidential election scheduled for July 19, deciding to enter the vice-presidential race, a triangular contest for the post is on the cards. With the constituents of the UNPA deciding to spurn the quid-pro-quo offer for elections to the two posts, the BJP and its alliance partners have been left with no choice but to enter the fray for the vice-presidential poll.

Unlike the presidential election, where the NDA had little difficulty in zeroing on its candidate, the principal opposition grouping will have a tough time in finalising its nominee for the vice-presidential poll.

The electoral college for the vice-presidential poll comprises of members of both the Houses of Parliament. The combined strength of the two Houses is 790 MPs. While the Lok Sabha has a strength of 543, there are 233 members in the Rajya Sabha. There are 12 nominated members in the Upper House. In Lok Sabha, two members belong to this category.

Going by the political configuration of the two Houses of Parliament, the candidate put up by the UPA-Left combine is certain to sail through. With the members of the newly-formed UNPA deciding to put up their own nominee for the vice-presidential election, the UPA-Left’s combine task in getting its candidate elected to the post is likely to become that much easier.

In an attempt to lure the UNPA into backing Shekhawat in the presidential election, the NDA had offered to back any nominee put up by the newly-formed front for the post of vice-president. The latter, however, stood firm in its resolve to maintain equi-distance from the UPA and the NDA.

Irked by its refusal to back Shekhawat, the BJP on Sunday flayed the UNPA’s decision to abstain from voting in the presidential election, describing the move as ‘anti-democratic’ and ‘legally untenable.’ It said, it might approach the Election Commission or the courts for appropriate directions in this regard.

Sushma Swaraj, while addressing newspersons in Mumbai Sunday, said the UNPA’s directive to its legislators, not to cast their votes “amounts to issuing a whip, which is not allowed in the presidential election, it is legally not tenable.”

She said the role of the Shiv Sena, which has decided to support the UPA-Left nominee Pratibha Patil in the July 19 presidential election, will be a “determining factor” in deciding the its future alliance with that party.

“We will review the alliance with the Shiv Sena only after July 19, but its role in the elections will be a determining factor,” BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said.

Such a directive to abstain can be held as an exercise of ‘undue influence’ as defined under the Representation of the People Act, she said, adding that nearly one lakh votes would go waste due to the UNPA’s stand. Besides, she maintained, the move will “vitiate and weaken democracy.”

Swaraj said, the party was contemplating approaching the judiciary or the Election Commission on the UNPA’s decision to abstain, and a panel headed by party general secretary Arun Jaitley would decide on the likely course of action.