Ruling UPA has decided to contest again the present Vice President Dr. Hamid Ansari as the next Vice-President. Â With a majority in Electoral College, it can be easily speculated that he would continue as the Vice President for Second Term.
However, Trinamool, a key ally to UPA has not yet decided its instance. It is likely that it would support some other Candidate for the post.  Trinamool has suggested the names of former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose’s niece and former Lok Sabha member Krishna Bose.
The Elections for Vice President would take place on August 7. Election Commission has already issued  the notification for this. A Key NDA member JD-U had already extended its support to Hamid  Ansari earlier
Congress president Sonia Gandhi made the announcement of Ansari’s candidature for another term as vice president at a meeting of UPA parties’ leaders at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s official residence here.
“He has presided over Rajya Sabha with dignity and distinction. UPA is honoured to nominate him for a second term as vice president of India,” she said.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram later described Ansari’s choice as “unanimous” though Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy said the party had suggested names of former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and former MP Krishna Bose.
Shortly after the decision was made, Manmohan Singh and Gandhi spoke to Ansari to congratulate him.
Chidambaram said the prime minister had spoken to Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani before the UPA meeting to seek support for Ansari. He said the prime minister had also spoken to Samajawadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, and that the two leaders had “welcomed the decision”.
Manmohan Singh also spoke to Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat.
Chidambaram said the decision to nominate Ansari was “accepted by all leaders present” and all parties, including the Trinamool Congress, applauded the announcement.
However, he added that he was not saying anything on behalf of the Trinamool Congress. The party, led by Mamata Banerjee, has also differed with the Congress on its choice of Pranab Mukherjee as the presidential candidate.
The home minister said some names were suggested during discussion but decision on Ansari was unanimous.
“Of course, (there was) unanimous decision at the meeting,” he said.
Chidambaram said Ansari had accepted the nomination and hoped all parties would welcome the decision and extend support to him.
Trinamool leader and Railway Minister Mukul Roy, who represented his party at the meeting, said his party had suggested names of Gopalkrishna Gandhi and Bose, the niece of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.
“We spoke our names. They conveyed their names… I will go back to the party. The party will decide,” he said.
Roy said some other names were also suggested at the UPA meeting but did not elaborate.
Ansari was in contention as the UPA’s presidential candidate along with Mukherjee. Banerjee did not concur with either of the choices and had suggested three names, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chaterjee for the highest constitutional post of the country.
However, her suggestions were not accepted by the Congress.
Ansari was elected vice president in 2007 and his term will come to an end Aug 10.
Election for the vice president’s post is scheduled Aug 7. Last date for filing nominations is July 20.