Bjp For Consensus On Presidential Candidate
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president, L K Advani, yesterday said his party was ready for a consensus on the presidential candidate.
Addressing a press conference here, Advani said the partys parliamentary board meeting would be held in Bhopal on June 12 and preliminary discussion on the issue would take place during the meeting, where it would also discuss its stand on the presidential candidate.
He said a number of candidates, including Balraj Madhok, Ram Jethmalani, Sumitra Kulkarni, Karan Singh and T N Seshan approached the party leaders to garner support for their candidature. But after the meeting of June 12, the decision would be announced.
Advani, who arrived here last evening from Porbandar in connection with Swarna Jayanti rath yatra, said no political party, except the United Front had so far proposed any name for the highest post.
He said of the three main forces BJP, Congress and Janta Dal the BJP being the largest single party in Parliament would have vote value while the remaining parties were in deep confusion following their party elections. Advani said the rath yatra, launched as part of celebration of 50th anniversary of Indian Independence, had received overwhelming response in southern states.
He said he was surprised at the response in Kerala where there was no BJP MP or MLA and at the sugar belt of western Maharashtra, a stonghold of the Congress.
It indicated that the people in the country needed a change in power and rulers, he added.