UNPA put up a united front for tomorrow's VP polls

New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) The United National Progressive Alliance, consisting of seven regional parties, today said its members will not cast any second preferential vote in tomorrow's vice-presidential elections and unitedly support Alliance candidate Rasheed Masood.

''There are no differences among us and all constituents stand solidly behind Mr Masood,'' Alliance leaders, including SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and TDP leader Chandra Babu Naidu and Dr V Maitreyan told a joint press conference after holding a meeting here this evening.

When asked about some of the constituents going against the declared UNPA stand to abstain from voting in the last month's presidential elections, AIADMK representative and MP Dr V Matreyon said,'' the presidential elections are now a close chapter,''.

The UNPA candidate is pitted against Mr Hamid Ansari fielded by the UPA-Left and Ms Najma Heptullah of the NDA.

The recently launched UNPA, touted as the third front, have 82 MPs in Parliament.

The presidential polls had witnessed serious differences among the UNPA partners with some of their MPs and MLAs, especially those belonging to the AIADMK, opting to vote, going against the collective decision taken earlier by its leadership to abstain from voting.

Today's meeting was attended by leaders of all constituents.

However, Ms Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK could not come as she was not well, the press conference was told.

The JVM also could not send their representative because they were busy in elections.

Others present besides Mr Yadav, Mr Naidu and Mr Maitreyan included Mr Om Prakash Chautala of the INLD, Mr Amar Singh and Mr S Bangarappa of the SP, Mr Kumar Deepak Das of the AGP and Mr Ravi Chandran of the PMK.

UNI