New Delhi: The country’s next Vice President is likely to be a Muslim. The Left parties, which will nominate the UPA’s candidate for the post, have begun informal discussions and are essentially looking at possible minority nominees.
The eight-party United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) has announced Samajwadi Party MP Rashid Masood as it candidate, and the Left parties believe that it would be good to have a Muslim Vice President if a consensus can be reached.
The names the Left is considering at the moment include Professor Sayed Hamid, chairperson of the Jamia Hamdarad Education Society and former Vice Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University, Professor Mushirul Hasan, historian and Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, and Haryana Governor A R Kidwai, who has served as the Vice Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University.
The three academics are widely respected, non-controversial and secular—qualifications which matter a lot to the Left parties. CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat has said the candidate for the Vice-President’s post must an “exemplary record” and “have the widest acceptance”.
The Left parties had insisted that the Presidential candidate must be political but for the Vice President they are willing to make no such demand. Karat, in a recent interview, said the Vice Presidential candidate “need not have a political background” and could belong to any party.
Karat’s statement indicates that the Left parties may be willing to put up a consensus candidate along with the Congress and perhaps the UNPA.
The BJP-led NDA and the UPA are unlikely to reach a deal though. The two alliances have had bitter row over the Presidential election and neither side is going give space to the other in the Vice Presidential election next month.
Recent media report say the BJP is considering fielding former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah in the Vice Presidential election. Heptullah, former Congress leader, joined the BJP in 2004.
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