New Delhi: BJP on July 15 said a contest for the Presidential post could have been avoided had the Communists and Left Parties supported the candidature of eminent scientist A P J Abdul Kalam.

"Communists and Left Parties made it an issue and have thus committed another error like their earlier historical mistakes. It would have been better if the election had been by consensus," party spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters.

He said BJP was not against veteran Indian National Army member Lakshmi Sehgal but it is ironical that the communists fielded her after having been critical of Subhash Chandra Bose.

PTI