Realise futility of contesting, Left asks BJP

New Delhi, June 16 (UNI) The Left Parties today asked the BJP and other NDA constituents to give up their insistence on putting up a candidate against UPA Presidential nominee Pratibha Patil so as to send a strong message to the world about India's commitment to women empowerment.

The CPI was of the view that the AIADMK and a big chunk of the SP might prefer to vote for Ms Patil while the Forward Bloc appealed to the NDA to consider the fact that Ms Patil is an experienced social worker, non-controversial public figure and a constitutional expert.

When contacted by UNI, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat reiterated that the UPA-Left combine meet yesterday, in which the name of Ms Patil was finalised, had made an appeal to all political parties to support the candidature of Ms Patil for the highest constitutional post.

Mr Karat said the meeting also called upon members of the electoral college to extend their support to Ms Patil and enable her become the first woman President of the country.

Another senior leader of the CPI (M) Mohammad Salim said the BJP must realise the futility of fielding its candidate after the UPA-Left announcement of the Presidential nominee yesterday.

''Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat should also realise that a national leader of his stature must not allow himself to be used as a pawn for the political games at a time when the country is going to celebrate its 60th Independence and when historic opportunity to elect a woman President is going to be made,'' Mr Salim, who is also the party's Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said.

The CPI(M) leader said it would be difficult for the BJP to mobilise support of the AIADMK, SP and the TDP for Mr Shekhawat.

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