CPM for Somnath as Vice-President

New Delhi, Jun 10 (UNI) The CPI(M) is making serious efforts to evolve a consensus on Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's nomination for the post of Vice-President which falls vacant in August.

Mr Chatterjee, whose name figured prominently in the beginning for the post of the President along with those of Pranab Mukherjee, Sushilkumar Shinde and Dr Karan Singh, has, however, yet to give his consent to the proposal, sources told UNI today.

The meeting between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee late last night where the presidential elections figured prominently assumes significance in this respect as the Left party could pitch for some sort of understanding in lieu of its support to the UPA Presidential candidate.

Mr Mukherjee - ''indispensable to the UPA government'' has now been entrusted with the task of evolving a consensus in consultations with the UPA allies, the Left and the other supporting parties.

Recently, CPI(M) patriarch and former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu reportedly spoke to the party leadership over phone in support of the move to field Mr Chatterjee for Vice-President.

While a senior CPI(M) leader said his party had thrown the idea but had not thrown the hat as it was necessary to seek the mind of Mr Chatterjee, a CPI leader said the CPI(M) had yet not spoken to them on the subject.

''Even though it has not been our official position so far that we will bargain with the Congress on this issue, the Left is of the view that with the Presidential candidate being the Congressman, the Vice President also need not be a Congressman,'' the CPI leader added.

Interestingly, UPA's strong southern ally DMK may also demand the Vice President's post even as the Left leaders, including Mr Prakash Karat, have already stated that this was not in the knowledge of the Left parties and it was later clarified by the DMK leadership that their support to the UPA was unconditional.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo M Karunanidhi was expected to reach the national capital in a couple of days, while BSP supremo Mayawati arrived here late last night to make her party's official announcment for the president's post. It is understood that she would support the UPA candidate in view of her very cordial meetings with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after her assuming office of the Chief Minister of the country's most populous state - Uttar Pradesh.

She is reported to have completed her consultation with her party MPs and MLAs on the issue who reportedly authorised her to take a final decision in this regard.

While the Election Commision has yet to announce the election schedule for the post of the President, the present incumbent Dr A P J Abdul Kalam's term expires on July 24.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in all probability is to contest for the post of the President as an Independent after the NDA realised that if he contested on their banner, it might be difficult for him to split the UPA votes. When he had contested for the post of Vice President, he did manage it because of his good personal rapport with parties other than the BJP.

The race for the post of the President and the Vice-President will start further hotting up from tomorrow onwards when CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and his counterpart in the CPI A B Bardhan would be back in the national capital.

Ms Sonia Gandhi is also expected to return in a few days, while the Prime Minister has already returned in the capital last night from a four-day foreign tour.

The UPA leadership and the supporting parties are expected to meet here on June 12 to deliberate on the issue of presidential elections.

UNI