Tharoor second in poll for top UN post

India's candidate Shashi Tharoor suffered a slight setback on Tuesday in the second straw poll for the post of United Nations Secretary General, coming second after South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon who consolidated his position, diplomats said.

Moon received 14 positive votes in straw poll, an informal voting held at the 15-member UN Security Council to gauge support enjoyed by the candidates.

The South Korean, who had got 11 positive votes in the last straw poll held in July, consolidated his position, polling

only one negative vote. But it was not clear whether the one negative vote was cast by a veto wielding permanent member.

Tharoor got 10 positive votes just as he had done in the previous poll, but this time he got three negative votes with two expressing no opinion. Last time, three Council members had expressed no opinion and two had cast negative votes.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai remained on the third position and new entrant Prince Zeid Hussein of Jordan could get only fourth place, belying the hope that he will be a strong candidate. Sri Lanka's Jayanta Dhanapala was at the last position.