V-P poll: Move on to field Sharad Yadav against Ansari

As UPA declared incumbent Hamid Ansari its candidate for Vice Presidential poll, a move is afoot in opposition camp to field JD-U president Sharad Yadav to ensure a contest.

As UPA declared incumbent Hamid Ansari its candidate for Vice Presidential poll, a move is afoot in opposition camp to field JD-U president Sharad Yadav to ensure a contest.

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Sources say a few leaders from BJP as well as from some other opposition parties have already approached Yadav in this regard as there is a view that he can muster the support of other parties.

Yadav was a key force behind organzing two Bharat bandhs in 2012 and 2010 on petrol price hike which saw parties from both Left and Right agitating on the issue the same day.

JD-U had been maintaining earlier that the Vice Presidential election could be a ball game different from the President election and this time, the opposition would be united in whatever decision is taken.

NDA allies JD(U) and Shiv Sena have drifted from BJP and supported UPA Presidential poll candidate Pranab Mukherjee.

The names of Akali Dal chief Prakash Singh Badal and BJP leader Jaswant Singh had earlier done the rounds as opposition nominee for the Vice Presidential election.

"Much will also depend on what decision Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav takes," an opposition leader had said hours before Asnari's candidature was announced. Since then, SP has backed Ansari.

Ealier on the day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up JD-U President Sharad Yadav seeking the support of the NDA ally for Hamid Ansari's candidature for Vice Presidential poll.

It is learnt that Yadav declined to commit his support to Ansari's candidature telling the Prime Minister that a decision will be taken after discussion on the issue within the party as well as in NDA.

Breaking ranks with BJP, JD-U and Shiv Sena have supported UPA's Presidential poll nominee Pranab Mukherjee even as BJP and Akali Dal backed the Opposition nominee PA Sangma.

There is a view in Congress as well as in a section in JD-U that after hailing Ansari as a "good" name for Presidential nominee, it will be difficult for the party to explain the logic behind not supporting his candidature.

Yadav, however, remained non-committal on the issue of whether his party will support Ansari or not.

"We will discuss it in our party and then if it is required, NDA will meet. Only then a decision will be taken," he said.

There are indications that the party may take a few more days to take a final decision on the issue.