Rediff Logo
Star News banner
News
Citibank banner Find/Feedback/Site Index
HOME | NEWS | ELECTIONS '98 | REPORT
March 17, 1998

NEWS
VIEWS
INTERVIEWS
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
ISSUES '98
MANIFESTOS
OVERHEARD
POLLING BOOTH
INDIA SPEAKS!
YEH HAI INDIA
CHAT
ELECTIONS '96

BJP trying for consensus over Speaker's post

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition is trying to reach a ''consensus'' on the election of the new speaker.

Asked if the BJP had finalised the name of its candidate for the post, senior party leader Jaswant Singh said all efforts were going on. ''Talks have been initiated with the Congress and others on this score. We will do every thing to reach a consensus.'' There was no clash of ideas, he added for effect.

The election of the new Speaker is slated for March 25.

Ram Naik, the MP from Bombay North, has emerged as the most favoured candidate from the BJP's side for this post, insiders confirmed.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister-designate A B Vajpayee, accompanied by BJP president L K Advani, called on the President this morning.

Confirming this, Singh said Vajpayee had been to Rashtrapati Bhavan to discuss ''the venue and modalities'' of the swearing-in ceremony slated for Thursday morning. He maintained that ''no list of probable council of ministers has been presented to the President as yet.''

However, sources close to the prime minister-designate claimed he had submitted a list of 20 probable names for ministership.

UNI

Related report:
Congress, not UF, should decide on speaker's election, says Paswan

Elections '98

Tell us what you think of this report

HOME | NEWS | BUSINESS | CRICKET | MOVIES | CHAT
INFOTECH | TRAVEL | LIFE/STYLE | FREEDOM | FEEDBACK