The CPM’s pitch for a non-political person as the UPA’s candidate for the Vice Presidential election is expected to run into trouble as its junior partners in the Left Front prepared to question the proposal at a meeting of the Left parties in the capital on Thursday.
“It is utter nonsense to think that a non-political person can run Rajya Sabha,” CPI general secretary A B Bardhan told Deccan Herald on Wednesday. The CPI can be expected to mount an attack on CPM general secretary Prakash Karat’s proposal of a non-political person as the next Vice President.
“Any body can suggest any name, but it is not necessary that we should approve them. As the Rajya Sabha chairman, the Vice President handles political issues and thus, in a way, he has more political responsibilities than even the Lok Sabha Speaker,” the CPI general secretary said. 
Karat, in a change of his party’s earlier position, came out publicly 10 days ago with his non-political Vice President proposal which has been not to the liking of his Left allies who say they were not consulted before-hand. “We have said that the candidate need not have a political background. According to us, it should be someone who has made a contribution,” Karat had stated. There is an understanding with the Congress according which a non-Congress person would be fielded as the ruling UPA’s Vice Presidential candidate.
Since Mr Karat made the proposals the names of several non-political persons has been making the rounds in CPM circles. The names include Jamia Milia Vice Chancellor and eminent historian Mushirul Hassan, eminent historian Irfan Habib, National Commission for Minority chairman Hamid Ansari, agricultural economist M S Swaminathan, social activist Swami Agnivesh and academician Mrinal Miri.
Political observers in the capital think that Karat proposed a non-political person only to scuttle the chances of his colleague in CPI Mr Bardhan nominated for the second top job. Mr Bardhan is believed to be not averse to becoming Vice President.
The observers also feel that Bardhan, who has a wide support base in the Congress, would seek to take a roundabout way and put his favourite candidate in the slot with Congress support.
Even a section of CPM leaders did not subscribe to Karat’s view and sought to dismiss it as his personal opinion. “In case a situation arises when the Vice President has to take over the responsibilities of the President, what will an academician do?” asked a senior party member.