NEW DELHI, 21 July 2007 — Keen to exploit the minority card in the national elections less than two years away, all the political parties seem bent on favoring a minority candidate, particularly a Muslim for vice presidential elections, scheduled on Aug. 10.
Taking the lead, United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), the newly formed third front announced the name of Rasheed Masood earlier this week. Masood filed his nomination papers yesterday.
The left parties had a meeting with United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the possible candidates, sources said.
Sonia yesterday named the choice of left parties Muhammad Hamid Ansari as the unanimous UPA candidate.
Ansari, a seasoned diplomat, is at present the chairman of National Commission for Minorities.
He has served as India’s permanent representative at the United Nations and as ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Iran.
