NEW DELHI, May 16: The Bharatiya Janata Party is veering around to the idea of supporting Vice President K R Narayanan for the country's top job.

The BJP has decided to plump for Narayanan following widespread speculation in political circles that Congress president Sitaram Kesri as well as Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, G Venkatswamy, are keen on seeing themselves as the next President.

A meeting chaired by party president LK Advani yesterday evening felt that the BJP should back Narayanan to stop the current bartering of the post of President on caste and party lines.

While the BJP acknowledges the need to promote a representative of the Scheduled Castes as President if only to send a positive signal both within the country and internationally, it feels that the post should not be held to ransom by vested interests.

BJP sources admitted that the party is anxious to stop Kesri or Venkatswamy, who they see as openly partisan Congressmen, from reaching Rashtrapati Bhavan. Narayanan, the sources said, is seen as a neutral person despite his innings as a Congress MP from Kerala. The BJP also feels that with his experience as a career diplomat and later as Vice Chancellor of JNU, he is the most qualified of all the hopefuls to be President, the sources explained.

The party is especially keen that a non-partisan person be elected President as the role of Rashtrapati Bhavan will be crucial in the months to come when no party is expected to get a clear majority in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Although former Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan has been assiduously wooing the BJP to support his candidature for President, the party appears to be reluctant to back a controversial figure like him, particularly since no consensus on Seshan seems likely.

Party sources said that the BJP will announce its support for Narayanan only after the notification for the presidential polls is issued.

The vice presidential contest, however, is still open with no party having finalised its candidate.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.