Vice-Presidential Election 2017: RSS indicates its preference for upper caste candidate.

New Delhi: The RSS is believed to be in favour of the ruling NDA selecting a candidate belonging to the upper caste and southern India for the post of vice-president, in its discussions with the BJP on the issue, sources said.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is learnt to have suggested this as the ruling BJP-led NDA has nominated Ram Nath Kovind, who hails from northern India and is a Dalit, as its presidential candidate.

A vice-presidential candidate from southern India, where the BJP is striving to spread its foothold, would be seen as an advantage, as well as having the candidate be from the upper caste — in a balancing effect to the president being from the disadvantaged section, sources said.

On Thursday, BJP president Amit Shah met senior RSS leaders Bhaiyyaji Joshi and Krishna Gopal and discussed the issue.

According to sources, the three met at Keshav Kunj — the RSS headquarters in Delhi — and held an hour-long discussion on the "qualifications" of the candidate to be nominated for the 5 August vice-presidential election.