CPI to support Hamid Ansari in Vice-President poll

New Delhi: After having decided to abstain from voting in the Presidential poll, CPI today extended support to UPA's nominee Hamid Ansari for his re-election as the Vice President.

"CPI will support Hamid Ansari in the Vice Presidential election," the party's National Secretary D Raja told PTI after a CPI Central Secretariat meeting in Delhi.

CPI has become the third among Left parties to back 75-year-old Ansari after CPM and Forward Bloc extended support to him for the August seven poll. RSP has decided to abstain in both the elections.

CPI has six MPs in both Houses of Parliament. CPM has 27 MPs, Forward Bloc has three and RSP two. UPA is comfortably placed in the Electoral College for the Vice Presidential poll comprising 790 MPs. Mr Ansari has the backing of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and the support of Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and others.

RSP has decided to abstain in both the Presidential and Vice Presidential elections on the grounds that it could not support a UPA candidate as it was opposed to the policies of UPA-II government.