JD-U miffed at Sushma's comment on Prez candidate

Indicating fissures in the National Democratic Alliance over the issue of Presidential election, the Janata Dal United on Tuesday snubbed the Bharatiya Janata Party for unilaterally announcing its stand on the issue.

"Whatever Sushma Swaraj has said is the opinion of the BJP. This is not our party's view. The issue was not discussed in any NDA meeting. BJP has not discussed the issue with us," JD-U President Sharad Yadav told reporters.

He also said that the country is in a bad shape and "everybody needs to be on the side of caution on this issue".

Yadav was reacting to Swaraj's statement that the BJP will not support the candidature of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari or any candidate put up by the Congress for the Presidential election.

Asked whether JD-U agrees with the stand of Swaraj, Yadav merely said, "Ours is a different party. Neither have we discussed this issue with the BJP nor have they done it with us so far."

Yadav, who is the NDA convener, also referred to the statement of Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal to hammer home his point that the issue has not been decided by the NDA as yet.

Badal said that there has been "no formal meeting" of the alliance so far and hence he cannot comment on who will be the NDA's Presidential candidate.

"This will be the decision of the collective leadership. I am just a member of the alliance", was his refrain when asked whether they support the candidature of former President Abdul Kalam.

Swaraj had said that the party was open to the idea of backing former President A P J Abdul Kalam if parties like Samajwadi Party mooted his name.

Sources close to the former President asserted that unless he emerges as the unanimous choice of all the parties, Kalam would not be interested in being part of the race.

"He is right now on a tour of Jharkhand and is expected back in New Delhi on Wednesday. It is for Kalam to make up his mind one way or the other," said a senior government official.

Yadav said the NDA has not yet discussed any name for the Presidential candidate.

The JD-U has not discussed any probable candidates for the Presidential elections yet, Yadav said, adding that the party will form an opinion after holding internal discussions.

"Whenever such a discussion takes place, the JD-U will express its views. But, she (Swaraj) has given the opinion of her party. She has not said this after any consultation with us. I do not know whether she consulted any other NDA ally on the issue," he said.

Sources in JD-U said that the unilateral announcement by Swaraj has foreclosed options of building a consensus on the issue.

With inputs from PTI