Jaya pledges support to Jaswant in vice-prez poll

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Extending her support to NDA’s vice-presidential candidate Jaswant Singh, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa said she firmly believed that there should be opposition in a democracy.

“It is my firm belief that in a true democracy, there should be opposition. Simply because the candidate put up by the ruling dispensation appears to have a winning chance does not mean that no one else should contest this election,” she told mediapersons after Mr Singh called on her Monday.

“I am happy to announce that AIADMK has decided to support Mr Jaswant Singh in the vice-presidential elections,” she said.

Recalling her 28-year-old association with the BJP senior in the Rajya Sabha - since 1984 when she was a member of the Upper House — Ms Jayalalithaa described him as a ‘gentleman’ politician, one of the finest, in Indian politics.

It was a mark of her personal esteem and regard for Mr Singh that the AIADMK – which has 14 MPs - has decided to support his candidature.

Mr Singh, who flew in here to seek the AIADMK’s support in Tuesday’s election, said he was “indebted” to the AIADMK leader for extending support to him. “I am glad that Jayalalithaaji has extended her support to my candidature,” he said. He was accompanied by his election agent Rajiv Pratap Rudy.