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| Cracks in ruling front over Vice-President nominee | | |
BL KAK
NEW DELHI, JULY 3: The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has developed cracks over the selection of nominee for the upcoming poll to elect the next Vice-President of India.
Several constituents of the UPA and the Left Front are eyeing the post, which is scheduled to fall vacant on August 18, when incumbent Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat completes his five-year tenure in office.
The Election Commission is expected to formally announce the schedule for the Vice Presidential polls later this week. Election of a UPA nominee as the next Vice-President is a foregone conclusion given its numerical strength in the Electoral College since it has the majority in both Houses of Parliament.
There is even a distinct possibility that the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) may not even field its candidate for the post, paving the way for election of the new Vice-President unopposed.
However, UPA insiders say that finalising a nominee from within the rag-tag alliance may not be that easy. The Left Front, which provides the crucial outside support to the UPA, itself is a house divided on the issue. While the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) wants to grab the post, some of its Left allies are not ready for it, fearing it will make the CPM more influential. They want the post to be given to one of the smaller Left parties.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which rules Tamil Nadu, also wants one of its nominees to occupy the post. It is widely believed that the DMK chief, M. Karunanidhi, has conveyed his party's desire to this effect during his meeting with the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, as the prize for brokering peace between the UPA and the Left over their combined nominee.
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