Lalu wants Hamid Ansari as India's next President

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday said his party would support Vice President Hamid Ansari as the Presidential candidate.

"Our Vice President Hamid Ansari should be made the President. He is a good candidate for the post. He should be upgraded as the President," Prasad told reporters outside Parliament.

Asked about his party's stand on former President APJ Abdul Kalam, the RJD leader said, "Kalam has already been the President. Now Ansari should be made because he is an able person and his performance is also best in the Rajya Sabha."

Presidential elections will be held in July and the United Progressive Alliance has to depend on other parties as it does not have required numbers to elect a President on its own strength.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said, "It is too early to comment on it. Let the name of candidate be declared first and then only we will make our stand known."

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh said, "We do not want to comment on any individual. But our view is that there should be a consenus among all political parties on the candidature of the President."

Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav also refused to comment on any name for the Presidential candidate, saying, "Let's first hold talks on the issue."