Even as the UPA announced Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as its candidate for the presidential elections,Vice-President Mohd Hamid Ansari,the second choice of Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for the post,could be offered one more term in office by the UPA. The last person to hold office as Vice-President for two consecutive terms was Dr S Radhakrishnan,the first countrys vice-president. Ansari,the common candidate of the UPA and the Left parties,was elected Vice-President in 2007 in a triangular contest in which he secured 455 out of the 762 votes polled. The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament. Sources in the Congress told The Indian Express that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is keen to give one more chance to Ansari,whose current term ends on August 11. Sources privy to informal discussions held within the party top brass say that there is unanimity in the Congress that someone from the minorities should hold one of the top two posts and hence Ansari could continue in his current job for one more term. Sources said another candidate who could be in reckoning,if Ansari does not accept one more term,is Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. A senior Congress leader said Abdullah would be amenable to the idea of moving into the Vice Presidents residence. Congress leaders ruled out the possibility of the post being offered to the opposition. There is no question (of an opposition candidate being supported by the UPA alliance). We are clear that we will have our own candidate since we have the numbers, said a Congress functionary.
