New Delhi:
As he arrived in the nation capital around noon today to take part in a meeting of the UPA allies, Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy refused to comment on who his party would favour for the Vice-President's post. "I am not the authorised person to speak on this. The party will speak at right time," the Railway Minister said.
The Congress, and majority of its allies who are meeting at the Prime Minister's residence this evening to discuss their candidate for the Vice-President's election, have reportedly set their mind on fielding Hamid Ansari for the post. Estranged ally and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, however, is not on board for this decision.
Ms Banerjee is reportedly unhappy with Mr Ansari's likely candidacy, much as she was with that of Pranab Mukherjee, the UPA's candidate for President. She is reportedly not in favour of Mr Ansari getting a second term as he was the original choice of the Left parties.
At today's meeting, though Ms Banerjee would be missing, Trinamool Congress representative Mukul Roy is expected to put forward their own choice - according to reports, the party is keen on former West Bengal Governor Gopal Gandhi or Krishna Bose, a relative of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Trinamool Congress sources have told NDTV that if UPA meet fails come up with an unanimous candidate, party chief chief Mamata Banerjee propose a name in the next two to three days.
The party is still undecided whether to vote or not during the presidential polls, which will take place on July 19. They have made it clear that right to not vote during the polls is another option the party is mulling. Trinamool Congress alleges that there is lack of communication among the UPA allies and the party in this regard.
The Congress, however, is keen on Mr Ansari and has sought support from the Left, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party among others. And it seems to have enough numbers in its support.
The election for Vice-President will be held in August. Even without Ms Banerjee, the Congress and its allies have 444 MPs, much more than the 396 votes they need to get Mr Ansari a second term. Stacked against Mr Ansari are the votes of 236 MPs - those of the BJP-led NDA, without the Janata Dal(United), the AIADMK, the Shiv Sena and the BJD.
The NDA-led Opposition has not spelt out its stand on the vice-presidential polls so far. The core group of the BJP, the party which leads the NDA, is also meeting in the national capital today to hold discussions on the election for Vice-President of India.
MAMATA REJECTS SONIA'S INVITE FOR DINNER AHEAD OF PRESIDENT POLL
For the second time, Mamata Banerjee will skip a dinner hosted by Sonia Gandhi for all members of the UPA. Ahmed Patel, who is also Sonia Gandhi's political secretary, phoned Ms Banerjee last evening to invite her to the dinner scheduled for Wednesday, the 18th - the night before the election for the President of India.
But the West Bengal chief minister said she needs to be in Kolkata for a major rally scheduled for July 21.
Ms Banerjee has been estranged from the UPA since last month, when she rejected then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as the coalition's candidate. Ms Banerjee had, flanked by Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, suggested the Prime Minister as one of their three choices, winding the Congress. Mr Yadav, however, secretly struck a pact with the Congress to vote for Mr Mukherjee, leaving Ms Banerjee marginalised in a coalition that had grown accustomed to her calling the shots and over-ruling the majority opinion within the UPA on major policy issues.
Mr Roy said in New Delhi today that there was no change in his party's stand on presidential polls. "My party has cleared the stand regarding the presidential election," he said.