Oppn VP candidate Margaret Alva meets Arvind Kejriwal, seeks AAP support

Joint opposition candidate for vice presidential election Margaret Alva on Saturday met with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and sought his support for her candidature.

They exchanged pleasantries during the meeting and discussed the current political atmosphere of the nation as well, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said in a statement after the meeting.

The meeting between Alva and Kejriwal concluded "with both leaders expressing mutual respect and acknowledgement", the party added.

"Margaret Alva had come to meet the AAP national convenor to seek the party's support in the forthcoming election for the vice president," it said.

Kejriwal did not attend the meeting of 17 opposition parties held at Sharad Pawar's residence last Sunday which decided on Alva's candidature. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave it a miss as well.

A former governor and Congress veteran, Alva has sought support of both Banerjee and Kejriwal.

The AAP had supported joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the presidential election.

"The AAP's political affairs committee will soon meet under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal to decide the party's stand on the vice presidential election," the party statement added.