VP polls: BSP to support UPA-Left candidate

Lucknow, Aug 9: A day before the vice-presidential polls, the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh today announced its support for UPA-Left candidate Md Hamid Ansari.

BSP national president and state Chief Minister Mayawati made this announcement at a press conference here. ''We have decided to support the UPA candidate for vice-president,'' she told reporters.

The BSP's decision to support the former diplomat came just hours before the elections were to begin tomorrow morning.

The BSP had earlier supported UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil for the post of President.

Ms Mayawati had recently met UPA chairperson and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi following which she had announced to support Ms Patil for the race for Raisina Hill.

Ms Mayawati had also hosted a dinner for Ms Patil in the UP capital when the latter had come here to seek support for the elections from the state's MLAs and MPs.

While the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has fielded Ms Najma Heptullah, the UNPA has fielded Samajwadi Party MP Rashid Masood for the post of the Vice-President.

UNI