UNPA to field its own candidate for V-P post

NEW DELHI: Inside a week of CPM boss Prakash Karat voicing his party's attempts to explore a third alternative before the next LS polls, UNPA has challenged Left to withdraw support to UPA government for a political partnership with non-BJP, non-Congress regional parties.

UNPA on Saturday decided to field its own candidate for the vice-president's post even as it formally stated that it would abstain from the presidential polls. This has extinguished all hopes for NDA-backed Bhairon Singh Shekhawat whose candidature remains a non-starter without UNPA's support.

AIADMK chief J Jayalali-thaa also ruled out UNPA seeking NDA's support for its V-P nominee, though it did so after floating President A P J Abdul Kalam's name for re-election. CPM indicated an attempt to reach out to UNPA on V-P polls, with party leader Sitaram Yechury telling an agency it was working at evolving ''widest possible acceptance'' and would try to enlist support of the new grouping. Despite CPM's friendly tone, Jayalalithaa's challenge to Left is significant, as it comes within days of Karat expressing a desire for a policy-oriented third alternative.

It appears as much to take the Red brigade on its word, reigniting the 'bark or bite' debate on its relationship with UPA, as to acquit itself of the charge of helping ''communal'' NDA by not backing Congress alliance. While the impossible rider attached to its offer of support to Left betrays shrewdness over a serious calculation to forge an alliance, it could be a long-term attempt with an eye on the post-2009 Lok Sabha scenario.

With an estimation that Left-Congress rift will deepen, it is felt that CPM's need for a 'third front' can only be a harsh reality, towards end of UPA tenure.

UNPA is eager to pre-empt a Left-Congress combine in the next power situation and is playing on the commonality that Left crosses swords with Congress in its strongholds while it is a bloc of parties with mutual hostility to Congress. UNPA made it clear that it would accept nothing short of a divorce between Left and UPA. To a query, SP general secretary Amar Singh said, ''It is Left's compulsion to go with Congress. Even if the Left chooses the V-P candidate, it would still be a UPA-Left nominee.''

For Left, it would be food for thought. Already at the receiving end of jeers for behaving like a 'loyal opposition', UNPA's bait may bring it under more pressure to live up to its claim.