Debate over Prez candidate picks up, but no clarity

New Delhi April 24: The debate over Presidential candidate picked up further momentum with RJD chief Lalu Prasad pitching for Vice President Hamid Ansari while other parties kept the cards close to their chest.

In an interesting development, Gopalakrishna Gandhi met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubhaneswar, fuelling speculation that the visit was linked to Presidential polls.

However, SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati declined to reveal their party strategy on the Presidential elections.

Ansari got support from Prasad who said his party would support the Vice President as the Presidential candidate.

"Our Vice President Hamid Ansari should be made the President. He is a good candidate for the President's post. He should be upgraded as the President," Prasad told reporters.

Asked about his party's stand on former President APJ Abdul Kalam, he said, "Kalam has already been the President. Now Ansari should be made because he is an able person and his performance is also best in the Rajya Sabha."

Presidential elections will be held in July and the UPA has to depend on other parties as it does not have required numbers to elect a President on its own strength.

Mulayam said his party has not yet decided on any name for the Presidential candidate, distancing himself from the comments made by party colleague Shahid Siddiqui who had favoured APJ Abdul Kalam but made a U-turn. "The party has not taken any decision on this," Yadav said.

When pointed out that his party colleague Shahid Siddiqui had favoured Kalam, Yadav dismissed it, saying "it may be his personal view but the party has not decided yet."

PTI