Samajwadis ask BJP to pick a ‘political’ Prez candidate

New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party, a key member of the Opposition bloc, told the BJP on Sunday that its presidential nominee should be a political person. Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, who spoke to SP’s Ramgopal Yadav and Naresh Agarwal, was also told that the BJP should disclose its nominee’s name. SP patriarch Mulayan Singh Yadav had earlier this week said his party would back to the NDA nominee only if he or she is not a staunch saffron face.

A key constituent of the Opposition camp, the Samajwadi Party (SP), on Sunday asked the ruling BJP that its presidential nominee should be a political person. Other member of the camp — Mamata Banerjee-led TMC — insisted that the BJP should first disclose the name of its presidential nominee as consultations with the Opposition on the issue without a name will only be a futile exercise.

Another opposition party, CPI(M) had earlier demanded that only a candidate with an “impeccable secular credentials” should be the next President of the country.

Ahead of the July 17 presidential election, the BJP has been holding consultations with the Opposition parties on the issue, sans NDA’s presidential candidate’s name.

Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, who spoke to SP’s Ramgopal Yadav and Naresh Agarwal, was told that the BJP should opt for a political person as its nominee. Both the SP leaders insisted that the BJP should disclose its nominee’s name. Interestingly, SP patriarch Mulayan Singh Yadav, who was unceremoniously shifted to the role of mentor by his son Akhilesh Yadav, had earlier this week assured his party’s support to the NDA nominee only if he/she is not a strong saffron face and acceptable to all.

Mr Naidu along with his colleagues — finance minister Arun Jaitley and home minister Rajnath Singh — are members of a party panel formed to consult parties to evolve a broad consensus on the issue.