Alva reaches out to CMs of Delhi, Karnataka, and Assam as part of VP poll campaign

Opposition’s vice presidential candidate Margaret Alva has so far reached out to chief ministers of Delhi, Karnataka, and Assam as part of her campaign bid.

Alva on Saturday had met Kejriwal and sought his support for her candidature. She has also spoken with Himanta Biswa Sarma and Basavaraj Bommai, BJP chief ministers from Assam and Karnataka, respectively.

Alva took charge of her campaign office at 1, Pt Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane Sunday, a Congress leader said.

”Smt. @alva_margaret took charge of her campaign office at 1, Pt Ravi Shankar Shukla Lane today. She spoke to CM Assam, CM Karnataka, & CM Delhi as part of her Vice Presidential campaign,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter.

The conversations were very cordial and friendly given her long political career and associations, he said. Responding to Ramesh’s tweet, Sarma said he did speak with Alva, but told her he had no role to play in the vice president’s election.

”Smt. @alva_margaret spoke to me this morning. I politely told her that I’m not a member of the electoral college. As such I have no role in the election of Vice President of India,” Sarma said on Twitter tagging Ramesh’s post. During their meeting Saturday, Alva and Kejriwal also discussed the current political atmosphere of the nation, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had said in a statement after the meeting.

The meeting between Alva and Kejriwal concluded ”with both leaders expressing mutual respect and acknowledgement,” the party had said.

Kejriwal had not attended the meeting of 17 opposition parties held at NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s residence last Sunday which decided on Alva’s candidature. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too had given it a miss.

Alva has been fielded by the Opposition against the ruling NDA’s Jagdeep Dhankhar – the latest governor of West Bengal, who resigned from the post on July 18.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, which governs West Bengal, has announced it will abstain from the election. Alva, a former governor and Congress veteran, has sought support of both Banerjee and Kejriwal.