NDA fields Najma Heptullah for vice president

NEW DELHI: The opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday decided to field former Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson Najma Heptullah as its vice presidential candidate.

The decision came a day ahead of the closing of nominations for the Aug 10 election.

"It was decided unanimously at the meeting of NDA leaders to nominate Najma Heptullah as the vice presidential candidate. The nomination will be filed at 12.30 p.m. on Monday," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj announced after an NDA meeting at the residence of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The meeting was attended by almost all NDA constituents except the Shiv Sena, BJP leader V.K. Malhotra told.

With Heptullah, a Rajya Sabha member representing the BJP, entering the fray, the battle for the post of vice president becomes triangular.

The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has announced the name of Hamid Ansari, a former diplomat, as its candidate while Rasheed Masood, the candidate of the 'third front' of United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), has already filed his papers.

With only members of parliament eligible to vote for the vice presidential poll, the UPA candidate should sail through comfortably, especially if the UPA gets the support of the Bahujan Samaj Party as is expected.