PTI
 
New Delhi, Jul 23: Career diplomat and noted academician Mohammad Hamid Ansari on Monday filed nomination papers for the August 10 Vice Presidential poll.

He filed two sets of documents in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI National Secretary D Raja and several Union ministers, including Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad, Ram Vilas Paswan and T R Baalu.

Ansari, who filed his papers before the Rajya Sabha Secretary General Yogendra Narain, who is the Returning Officer for the election, will clash with Rashid Masood of the United National Progress Alliance (UNPA) and Najma Heptulla of BJP-led NDA.

After the deadline for filing of nomination ends on Monday, scrutiny will take place on Tuesday for the poll. Counting will take place on August 10.

"It is a great occasion," Ansari told reporters after filing his papers when asked to comment on how he felt.

On how he would run the Rajya Sabha as its Chairman without any parliamentary experience, he said, "Any organization is run on the basis of rules and regulations. Rajya Sabha has excellent rules and regulations."