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BJP pulls out of race for deputy speaker's post

The Bharatiya Janata Party today withdrew its candidate, Rita Verma, from the contest for the post of deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha.

The party took the decision after seeing the cracks in the ruling coalition on the issue with the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Trinamool Congress openly backing Congress nominee P M Sayeed.

Yerram Naidu (Telugu Desam Party) and Madhukar Sarpotdar (Shiv Sena) said the coalition had decided to "go by convention".

Earlier, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had called a meeting of all the partners of the BJP in what was seen as a last-ditch attempt to secure their support for Verma. But at the meeting, a formal decision was taken to withdraw her candidature.

Later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana told reporters that the BJP's allies had decided to "respond positively" to the Congress candidate. He said the response followed a plea by the Congress that Sayeed be made the consensus candidate.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar had called on Vajpayee in this connection yesterday.

UNI

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