BJP, NCP push for apolitical candidate as next president

New Delhi/Mumbai, Apr 23 (ANI): With the five-year term of President Pratibha Devisingh Patil drawing to a close in July this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are in favour of appointing an apolitical person as the country's next President.

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi stressed on the need to have a person with a clean image for the coveted post.

"I feel that the point of concern is not whether the candidate (for the post of the Indian President) should be a political person or a non-political person. The important point is that the person appointed to be as the President of India must not have any controversies against him or her and must be able to resolve the constitutional ailments and other dangers threatening the country at present," said Naqvi.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the next president of India must be a non-political person.

"Till now, there has been no proposal as such for the candidature of president. We ought to have a consensus on this issue, and I wish both the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) arrive at a consensus. Preferably, the candidate must be a non-political person," Pawar told media in Mumbai. (ANI)