Rashid Masood is UNPA nominee for VP post

Mumbai, July 16: Samajwadi Party MP Rashid Masood will be the United National Progressive Alliance's (UNPA) nominee for the Vice- Presidential poll, party general secretary Amar Singh announced today.

UNPA is the first political group to announce the name of its candidate for the Vice-Presidential elections, which are slated for August 10.

The SP general secretary said the UNPA was putting up its candidate for the coveted post as it wanted to maintain an equal distance from both the Congress and the BJP as also with the alliances led by them -- the UPA and the NDA -- respectively.

Mr Singh said the UNPA decided on Mr Masood's candidature, unanimously, yesterday.

Mr Masood, who hails from Saharanpur district of Western Uttar Pradesh, was a minister in the erstwhile Janata Dal Government of Mr V P Singh. Later, he parted ways with the JD and floated his own political outfit.

UNI