With UNPA deciding to abstain from the presidential election and the Left parties, too, attempting to bring the regional alliance on board with UPA, the BJP-led NDA is considering putting up a fight again for Vice-President?s post. The NDA is actively mulling the idea of fielding former Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson Najma Heptullah as its candidate for next month?s election.
Though overwhelmingly engaged in garnering support for its presidential candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who is otherwise considered to be fighting a lost battle, the BJP is gearing up to contest the vice-president?s election. ?If the UPA-Left and the UNPA field their candidates, we cannot sit and watch silently. We will have to put up a fight,? sources in the BJP circle said.
Najma Heptullah?a former Congress leader who switched loyalty to the BJP in 2004?could be a likely choice for the vice-president?s election, they said. ?Najma can be a likely choice. But there is no final decision as yet. We will meet our allies later this week to discuss the issue,? they added.
The Opposition alliance also wants to neutralise the women? empowerment campaign of the Congress, which has named former Rajasthan governor Pratibha Patil as the ruling alliance?s nominee for the presidential election.
There is strong feeling doing the rounds in the BJP circles that the vice-presidential election would be a triangular contest, and not a duel. Meanwhile, sensing the general mood among the leaders of the Left front that his candidature will not be favoured for the post, CPI leader AB Bardhan said, the Vice-Presidential candidate need not be a member of any political party.
?I am grateful to those who have suggested my name. But I am the general secretary of the CPI and I don?t think our party cadre will allow their general secretary to be hijacked for such a purpose,? Bardhan said.
When asked about the wishes of RSP, Forward Bloc and a section of the CPI(M), he said, ?I am not a candidate. Do you think there will be consensus on a person belonging to the CPI or the CPI(M)? My name will not come, you can be rest assured.?
Moreover, Karat has begun the process to bring in consensus on a name between the Congress and the UNPA. After meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and TDP leader Chandra Babu Naidu met on Friday, Karat met AB Bardhan on Sunday and discussed the issue.
Among the names, which are doing the rounds for a possible UPA-Left-UNPA candidate are Irfan Habib, Jamia Milia Islamia vice-chancellor Mushirul Hasan and noted agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan.