Hamid Ansari to file nomination today, calls Mamata Banerjee for support

New Delhi: Vice President Hamid Ansari will file nomination papers for his re-election to the post on Wednesday amid expectations in UPA that he is set for a comfortable win.

Mr Ansari will submit four sets of nomination papers to Lok Sabha Secretary General TK Vishwanathan, who is the Returning Officer for the August 7 Vice Presidential election, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, leaders of UPA constituents, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury are expected to be present when Mr Ansari submits his nomination papers.

UPA sources said Mr Ansari was expected to get 470 votes in the electoral college of 790. This is without the support of Trinamool Congress which has 19 members in the Lok Sabha and nine in the Rajya Sabha.

With the support of Trinamool and some small parties, Mr Ansari will get more than 500 votes, the sources said.

On the eve of his filing of nomination papers, Mr Ansari spoke to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today and sought her support in the election.

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