NEW DELHI, India, Aug. 18, Reuter: India’s New Vice-president is certain to be Shankar Dayal Sharma, Governor of Maharashtra state and a former government minister, newspapers reported today.
The ruling Congress (I) Party picked Sharma late yesterday as its candidate for the post, whose main function is to preside over the Rajya Sabha” (Upper House of Parliament), they reported.
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi earlier consulted leaders of most opposition parties and a consensus emerged in favor of Sharma, who studied law at Cambridge, became a fellow of Harvard Law School and has spent 40 years in public service.
The Vice-presidential election, by members of both Houses, is not until Sept. 7. But in view of the consensus, no other candidate is likely to stand against Sharma, who will be 69 tomorrow.
His predecessor as Vice-president, Ramaswamy Venkataraman, was sworn in as President on July 25.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 21, 1987
