Triangular fight all involving Muslim nominees for Vice-Presidential in India

[AFDAL]

NEW DELHI, July 22 – With allies Shiv Sena and Trinamool Congress still staying away, the BJP-led NDA today announced Rajya Sabha’s former Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah as its Vice-Presidential candidate making the contest a triangular fight all involving Muslim nominees. Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj accused the ruling UPA of having made no moves for a consensus candidate for the August 10 election. Tomorrow is the last day for filing nominations.

The UPA-Left has named Mohammad Ansari as its nominee while the Third Front is fielding Rasheed Masood. Two muslims have been earlier Vice-Presidents – Zakir Hussain(2nd) and M Hidayatullah (6th).

“In a democracy, the Opposition is duty-bound to give a fight if those in power do no reach out to it for a consensus candidate,” Swaraj told reporters announcing the candidature of Heptullah.

She, however, claimed that the move to put up Heptullah (67) was not prompted by gender or religious factors.

“She (Heptullah) is the most suitable candidate for the job. The decision to field her was solely based on merit,” Swaraj said.

Although the Shiv Sena, which broke ranks with the BJP by supporting UPA-Left Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil, did not turn up for today’s NDA meeting, she claimed there was unanimity in the NDA on Heptullah’s candidature. She said the BJP would reached out to Shiv Sena and Trinamool to seek their support.

Heptuallah, who has a over three decade association with Congress before leaving the party to join BJP in 2004, was once considered close to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. – PTI

[AFDAL]

New Delhi : Three Muslim candidates including a woman are now in the fray for the post of vice president, with the main opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) deciding Sunday to field former Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson Najma Heptullah.

The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and its Left allies Saturday announced former diplomat Hamid Ansari, 65, would be their candidate while the 'third front' United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) has already fielded Samajwadi Party MP Rasheed Masood, 60.

The decision to field Heptullah, 67, by the NDA came a day ahead of the closing of nominations for the Aug 10 election.

Unlike the presidential election in which all MPs and state legislators are eligible to vote, the electoral college for the vice presidential poll consists of only the 790 MPs. The UPA, the Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party - likely to go with them - have a clear majority.

As a result, neither the NDA candidate Heptullah nor the UNPA candidate Masood has much chance of becoming the next vice president, especially in a triangular contest, where the opposition votes will be split between them.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj announced: "It was decided unanimously at the meeting of NDA leaders to nominate Najma Heptullah as the vice presidential candidate. The nomination will be filed at 12.30 p.m. tomorrow."

The announcement came after a meeting at the residence of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It was attended by almost all NDA constituents except the Shiv Sena, BJP leader V.K. Malhotra told IANS.

Masood was the first candidate to file his nomination papers on July 20 accompanied by UNPA leaders - Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.