Left parties to meet tomm in Delhi over President issue

Panaji, May 15 (UNI) All Left parties will meet tomorrow in Delhi to work out strategies on the election of the new President as the term of A P J Abdul Kalam is nearing its end. CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said today.

Talking to the mediapersons here, Bardhan said Left parties will have another meeting to ''review'' the support it had been extending to the UPA government at the Centre from outside as ''we are not happy with it''.

Stating the review would take place only after the presidential election, he observed that there was no ''special reason'' for offering Kalam a second term.

He said the CPI was against extending Kalam's term as also elevating Vice-President Bhaironsingh Sekhawat, who was a staunch RSS man with a stint as BJP Chief Minister in Rajasthan.

Mr Bardhan said the idea of electing ''so called non-political, independent man for the highest post is ridiculous as the President is doing political and constitutional job.'' ''The President is expected to know political trends and be conversant with constitutional duties and obligations,'' he said.

There was no proposal to set up a joint candidate of the Left for the post with UP Chief Minister having a decisive voice on the election. There was no woman candidate for the post like Capt Laxmi Singhal in the past, who had lost.

''We are not in a position to put up our candidate but can show our preferences,'' he added.

UNI