By IANS
New Delhi : The United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), comprising non-Congress and non-BJP parties, meets here Saturday to decide on the prickly issue of who it would back in the presidential elections amid reports of bitter differences in the ranks.
The view advocated by the Samajwadi Party and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is that they should stay neutral in the July 19 polls, voting for neither the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pratibha Patil nor Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, backed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The AIADMK, the MDMK and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), however, feel that the first priority is to defeat the Congress/UPA candidate and so there is no option but to vote for Shekhawat.
If both camps stick to their respective position, it could even lead to the demise of the month-old front, admit senior leaders of what is more popularly known as the Third Front.
But the differences in the front, formed less than a month ago in Hyderabad, are expected to be thrashed out at the residence of INLD president Om Prakash Chautala on Saturday.
Samajwadi Party leaders have invited National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah to strengthen their numbers against the Jayalalitha-led AIADMK camp.
Abdullah, too, does not favour being seen as openly supporting a BJP-backed candidate, said informed sources.
Shekhawat has been calling up legislators of various parties comprising the UNPA to lobby for their votes.
Said a Samajwadi Party MP: “Why should we vote for him and spoil our chances for the 2009 general elections? Farooq Abdullah is joining us and may also not vote for Shekhawat. Mamata Banerjee (Trinamool Congress) has not made any commitment to Shekhawat either. Why should we stick our neck out for a losing candidate who does not even have his NDA votes?”