BJP to discuss vice presidential poll with NDA allies

Treading with caution over the vice presidential polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to call a meeting of its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies by the end of this week, party sources said Tuesday.

Sources say BJP wants a leader from its own party for the post. This may however not go well with ally Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which wants a "neutral" candidate.

JD-U has however confirmed that it will be with BJP on the vice presidential poll, even as it backs United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee for president.

BJP confirmed Monday that opposition will have its own candidate for vice president poll. A discussion on the issue also took place in the party's core committee meeting Saturday.

There has been speculation around the names of BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and
Jaswant Singh, as well as Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, for the post.

Jaswant Singh even went to Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to seek his support for himself as the vice-presidential candidate. The BJP, at that time, said that it was "aware" of the meeting, but refused to make any further comments.