Prez polls: BJP executive backs Shekhawat

New Delhi, June 26: The BJP today welcomed Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's decision to contest the Presidential poll as an Independent nominee ''to put an end to a tendency of placing a family loyalist in Rashtrapati Bhawan'' and resolved to support and work for his success.

Briefing newspersons about the second day's deliberations of the BJP National Executive, senior party leader Sushma Swaraj said Mr Shekhawat, while filing the nomination papers yesterday, had remained in the fray despite the Shiv Sena's support for the UPA-Left nominee, Mrs Pratibha Patil. ''Now that Mr Shekhawat is in the fray, we will work totally for his success''.

Ms Swaraj, who is also the NDA spokesperson, said it was sad that the party which had been a part of all the NDA's deliberations on Presidential polls had decided to distance itself at the last stage that too on a regional basis when election of a new President is a matter of concern for the entire country not confined to a region.

''Would the CPI(M) have supported the NDA if its candidate fielded were to be a Bengali?'' she asked.

The party will assess its relationship with Shiv Sena after the polls are concluded, she said. The BJP was not at all surprised at the decision of Shiv Sena to support Congress candidate Pratibha Patil but certainly was 'sad', she added.

Asked about Trinamool Congress of Mamata Banerjee too distancing itself from the NDA, she said they were part of the whole process right from the beginning. ''Only on the day of filing nomination papers we were told that their representative could not make it to Delhi because of delay in the flight.'' Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi clarified that his party cannot support the candidature of Mr Shekhawat as long as there were public rallies demanding a second term for President A P J Abdul Kalam.

Ms Swaraj said they were yet to hear from the United National Progressive Alliance leaders about NDA's suggestion and that its decision to stay away from the voting process would only help the Congress candidate.

UNI

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