The Bhartiya Janata Party on Monday made it clear that it would not let the election for the post of vice-president go uncontested. This hints that a second term for Hamid Ansari might not be a cakewalk.

"There is no question of supporting the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate. We will field our own candidate," party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here, but did not divulge who would be its candidate.

"It is natural that the BJP will itself fight the vice-presidential election. We will discuss it with our allies in National Democratic Alliance and decide," he said.

Others in the BJP said consultations with the NDA allies have begun. Instead of projecting party's candidate, they said the BJP is open to backing any non-UPA candidate.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat confirmed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called him up three days ago about the vice-presidential election, but refused to divulge the names discussed.