BJP leader Jaswant Singh was on Monday chosen by the NDA as its unanimous candidate for the August 7 vice-presidential election against UPA nominee Hamid Ansari.
After an NDA meeting at L.K. Advani’s residence, the veteran BJP leader said that the biggest opposition alliance has decided not to give the UPA a walk over in the vice-presidential election as well.
“We have reservation against Hamid Ansari because of the way he handled the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha,” Advani said.
He said name of the NDA convenor and JD(U) chief, Sharad Yadav, was also floated. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj spoke to Yadav, but the latter refused to contest. Finally there was a consensus over Jaswant Singh.
“We have taken two decisions today in NDA’s meeting. First is that their will be an NDA candidate for the post of Vice President. Consensus has emerged that Jaswant Singh will be NDA’s candidate for Vice President,” Advani told reporters after the meeting.
Key NDA constituent JD(U) also announced its support for Singh as the NDA’s vice presidential candidate. In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar confirmed support of his party JD(U) to Singh.
“I feel more responsible. I feel as if I have been given additional responsibility and weight to carry. I don’t disbelieve the importance of numbers in a democracy or in electoral contest, but these particular elections of president, vice president in reality go beyond numbers as we are contesting for the fundamentals of the republic,” Jaswant Singh said after his selection as NDA nominee.
