The Hindu : `Opposition trying to field joint candidate'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2002

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`Opposition trying to field joint candidate'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 16. The CPI(M) Parliamentary Party leader, Somnath Chatterjee, said that the Opposition parties were making an attempt to project an "acceptable candidate" for the Vice-Presidential poll, while criticising the lack of effort by the Government to talk to the Opposition on the issue.

At a press conference here, Mr. Chatterjee said the Government had neither contacted him nor the leaders of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, but were foisting a "BJP man with close RSS connections". While the Opposition was working towards fielding a joint candidate, the lack of any attempt by the Government showed "the pattern of its functioning".

Authoritative sources in the Government said the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, had spoken to the TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, over the choice of the next Vice-President. Although the NDA has not declared it, the former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Bhairon Singh Shekawat, is said to be its candidate. Mr. Vajpayee, who was authorised by the NDA leaders on Sunday to name the candidate, is expected to make the announcement tomorrow, official sources said. Mr. Chatterjee also said the CPI(M) would strive for floor coordination among the Opposition parties. He said the cracks in Opposition unity over the Presidential polls were a thing of past. The non-Congress Opposition parties would hold a meeting tomorrow for floor coordination. On the Gujarat situation, he said that the Modi Government's relief and rehabilitation work was tardy and those affected by the communal violence had not been paid compensation. He charged that K.P.S. Gill had "failed" in his Gujarat mission and that the Government was claiming normality only to cover it up.

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