Congress has to decide first, says Advani

Opposition parties will be able to decide on their nominee for the presidential polls only after the Congress made up its mind on the UPA candidate, senior BJP leader LK Advani said on Tuesday.

Opposition parties will be able to decide on their nominee for the presidential polls only after the Congress made up its mind on the UPA candidate, senior BJP leader LK Advani said on Tuesday.

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"No party is clear on its choice for the President. Even the Congress has not decided yet. That is the situation today," he said as the government wrapped up Parliament's budget session.

Advani told HT he conceded that the arithmetic in the electoral college was such that the opposition parties would be able to make up their mind on their choice only after knowing the candidate of the UPA.

Advani expected the selection process to pick up after the Election Commission notified the schedule for the poll, which was expected to be announced around June 10. The election is expected to be held on July 19, according to poll panel sources.

Advani said he did not think an earlier statement by party leader Sushma Swaraj that the BJP would not support a Congress nominee, had affected the BJP strategy.