Hamid Ansari is likely to be re-nominated for the Aug 7 Vice Presidential election as the Congress candidate, party sources Monday said adding it will send a “right message” to the minority community. BJP is yet to zero in on a nominee for the poll.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday discussed Ansari’s name with Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader HD Devegowda, who has supported his candidature. “Our party supports his candidature for the vice presidential poll,” JD-S general secretary Danish Ali told IANS.

According to the JD-S leader, Ansari should have been ideally nominated for the post of president of India but since that could not happen his candidature for the vice president’s office should be welcomed.

“Ansari’s tenure as vice president and Rajya Sabha chairman was an excellent one and he is a renowned scholar,” said Ali.

Earlier, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh too had hinted that “Ansari’s re-nomination would not be a bad idea”. Ansari’s name was doing the rounds along with that of former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, UPA’s presidential nominee.

Congress sources said Ansari’s re-nomination for August 7 vice presidential election will send the right message to the minority community. But just like the July 19 presidential poll, the vice presidential election will not go uncontested.
BJP said it will field its own candidate.

“It is natural that the BJP will fight the vice president’s election. We will discuss it with our allies in NDA and decide,” BJP’s national spokesperson and general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters.