NEW DELHI (PTI): The Congress-I on July 29 announced the candidature of K.R. Narayanan, former union minister for the vice-presidential election on August 19, with the opposition National Front-Left Front combine and other opposition parties supporting the choice.
Congress-I decision was announced by All India Congress Committee (I) general secretary, V.N. Gadgil.
Narayanan emerged as the consensus candidate for election to the post scheduled on August 19 during talks between Premier P.V.Narasimha Rao and various political parties July 29.
The NF-LF had earlier in the day declared their support for Narayanan,
The Right Wing Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman, J.P. Mathur told PTI, the party president Murli Manohar Joshi, L.K.Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee July 29 met and decided to support Narayan’s candidature. Advani conveyed the decision telephonically to the prime minister, Mathur said.
A former diplomat and member of the late Rajiv Gandhi ministry, Narayanan is a scheduled caste member of the Lok Sabha.
The Janata Dal (S) general” secretary, S.P.Malviya in at Statement said, “I would, how ever, appeal to p. V. Narasimha Rao not to field K-R. Narayanan as a Congress-I.
Narayanan said he was honored and happy to be nominated as the Congress-I candidate for vice-presidential election: “It has touched me, particularly out’ pouring of god will from ‘all’ parties Left and Right, “he said” He considered this’ a gesture made to the common man. This was a manifestation’ of democratic functioning of party .
Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 7, 1992
