UNPA not to support Shekhawat: Jayalalithaa

New Delhi, Jun 30 (UNI) Ms J Jayalalithaa, AIADMK Chief and leader of the newly-floated United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), has ruled out UNPA supporting NDA candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the July 19 Presidential election.

In an interview to TIMES NOW news channel, she said the UNPA would stay away from voting.

''There may be no other alternative for us at this point of time'' but she quickly followed that up by saying that ''this is a collective decision (of the UNPA).'' ''There has been no further development since we made it clear that we will not back a candidate put up by the UPA or the NDA'' she said adding ''so of course, we will stay with that''.

The decision by the UNPA to abstain from the Presidential elections makes the NDA's Presidential candidate virtually redundant in the Presidential elections.

Ms Jayalalithaa said that when she called up Dr Kalam for the first time he said he did not want to contest (as opposed to news reports that he is open to contest). Ms Jayalalithaa made it clear that backing NDA candidate Shekhawat was almost an impossibility.

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