Ansari files nomination for Aug 7 Vice Presidential poll

Gandhi and Singh handed over the first set of nomination papers on behalf of Ansari to Lok Sabha Secretary General T K Vishwanathan, who is the Returning Officer for the August 7 Vice Presidential election.

Congress veteran Motilal Vora, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra submitted three additional sets of nomination papers on behalf of Ansari.

75-year-old Ansari is set to become the second person to get two consecutive terms as Vice President after Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, RLD chief Ajit Singh, IUML leader E Ahamed, DMK leader T R Baalu and RJD chief Lalu Prasad were among those present.

All the UPA consituents except Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had signed the nomination papers of Ansari.

UPA election managers are confident that Banerjee will back Ansari like she did yesterday for Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential poll.

The election is expected to witness virtually a straight contest between Ansari and NDA nominee Jaswant Singh, with the ruling UPA confident of cornering over 520 votes for their candidate in the electoral college of 790 comprising members of the two Houses of Parliament.

Soon after filing his nomination papers, Ansari thanked UPA and its partners for supporting his candidature. "I am very grateful to all the leaders who have come here to attend this function, for supporting my nomination and for sponsoring me," he told reporters. (More)