Shillong, June 24: Two Opposition regional political parties in Meghalaya, the United Democratic Party (UDP) and Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), are likely to decide together on who they should support in the upcoming Dalit versus Dalit presidential election.
Ram Nath Kovind, the governor of Bihar, was announced as the BJP-led NDA's candidate for the post of President on June 19.
The Congress and its allies announced former Lok Sabha Speaker and Dalit leader Meira Kumar as its candidate for the presidential election.
Pranab Mukherjee's presidential term ends on July 24, and the election for the next President is scheduled to take place on July 17 and counting of votes on July 20.
When contacted, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and UDP president Donkupar Roy said a committee of his party would soon meet to discuss the presidential election.
Asked if the UDP would together decide the issue with the HSPDP, Roy said the matter would be discussed first within the party and a decision would be taken.
The UDP and HSPDP have forged a pre-poll alliance for the upcoming Assembly election next year.
HSPDP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said the party would discuss the matter soon and tried to analyse the background of the candidates aspiring to occupy the top post.
"We will first discuss the issue within our party, and it would be good if we jointly take a call on this issue," Basaiawmoit said.
Asked if the HSPDP would consider abstaining from voting in the presidential election, Basaiawmoit said the party would take "the best decision".
In the 60-member House, the UDP has eight MLAs and the HSPDP four.
The National People's Party with two MLAs may vote in favour of the NDA nominee.
The Congress, which has 30 MLAs, is expected to back Kumar, but there is no guarantee that cross-voting would not take place. It could also lose the vote of its suspended legislator P.N. Syiem.
The NCP, too, a partner of the Congress-led government with two legislators, may back the Congress nominee.
It would be interesting to know to which candidate the 14 Independent legis-lators would extend their support.
