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Vice-President poll: Left starts talks

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Left leaders on Thursday began discussions to select an “independent” candidate, who has the widest possible acceptance in the electoral college, for the Vice-Presidential election.

Broad parameters include looking for a person from a minority community, sources in the Left parties said. However, Left parties are certain that the person selected would not be from the Congress.

“Today was the first meeting and all names appearing in the press were discussed. We will hold talks with other parties and meet again,” Communist Party of India general secretary A.B. Bardhan said.

July 23 is the last day for filing of nominations for the August 10 election.

Mr. Bardhan asserted that his name was not among the list of names that came up for discussion.

Asked whether the names under consideration included “non-political” ones, he said the emphasis was that such a person could be outside a political party.

However, that person should have a political understanding and able to run the Rajya Sabha.

The names of at least 10 to 12 prominent persons were in circulation in the capital.

The Thursday’s meeting was attended by Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury, D. Raja (CPI), All India Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas and Revolutionary Socialist Party leader Abani Roy. Mr. Biswas said the party’s central committee that is going into a three-day session from Friday in Bhubaneswar would discuss the issue in detail.

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