Forcing both the Congress and other constituents of the UPA to agree to its candidate for the post of Vice-President, the CPI(M) on Friday, succeeded in getting its nominee Hamid Ansari as the official candidate of the ruling alliance.
His name was announced after a co-ordination meeting of the Left-UPA at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?s residence here.
The day saw hectic parleys between the Left and the UPA, as a section of the Congress and its allies, like the RJD and the DMK, were averse to national commission for minorities chairman Ansari?s candidature. Announcing his candidature UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said, ?All of us have come to a unanimous understanding that Mohd Hamid Ansari would be our candidate.?
?Ansari has an excellent record of serving the nation in many capacities, including as civil servant, diplomat, academician and in his present assignment,? she added.
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, who met Sonia Gandhi on Thursday, reportedly conveyed her that the Left had no other names to suggest. The Congress decision-makers, who discussed the name on Friday, were reluctant to accept the name given the fact that chairing the Rajya Sabha would be a tough task for Ansari, who is quite inexperienced in day-to-day politics. However, the CPI(M) was adamant that his name should be the final one. Unhappy with the Left?s candidate, RJD chief and railway minister Lalu Yadav held discussions with CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury and reportedly suggested the name of West Bengal speaker Hashim Abdul Halim for the post.
The DMK, on the other hand, favoured the name of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah. Abdullah, who met Prakash Karat on Friday morning, was however, sent back with a courteous ?no?.