Press Statement
The Left parties, the CPI(M), CPI, RSP and FB have issued the following statement:
Left Supports Shinde for Vice President
The Left parties have all along maintained that a political contest must take place for the post of the President and Vice-President given the present political context in the country. The BJP-led NDA has declared the candidature of Mr. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat for the post of Vice-President. Mr. Shekhawat is a prominent BJP leader with close links with the RSS. He went on record in the wake of the worst communal carnage in Gujarat to state on April 23, 2002: "If the state government continues with its policy of appeasing a particular community, Rajasthan would face a situation similar to that of Gujarat."
In this context, the Left parties decided that it is imperative to oppose the BJP-NDA nominee. The Left parties have therefore decided to extend support to the candidature of Shri Sushil Kumar Shinde.