Washington (PTI): Bobby Jindal, the Indian-American Governor of Louisiana state, will be spending the weekend with presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain, virtually confirming that he is among the frontrunners for the Vice President's post.

The 36-year-old, whose parents hail from Punjab, has been persistently denying that he wants to be McCain's running mate saying he is happy with his current job and that he will never be asked to run for the post.

However, the influential New York Times said on Thursday that McCain is set to meet Jindal and two other "potential running mates at a gathering at his ranch this weekend in Arizona, suggesting that he is stepping up his search for a vice-presidential candidate".

Jindal, Florida Governor Charlie Crist and Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and a onetime rival for the Republican nomination, have all accepted invitations to visit McCain at his ranch in Sedona, according to Republicans familiar with McCain's plans.

After a week of campaigning, McCain is heading home tomorrow for three days without a public schedule. His campaign described this as a social weekend that would include 10 couples, and as has been its policy declined to discuss any aspect of the vice-presidential search.

"We don't talk about the V.P. selection process," said Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser.

Some of McCains associates said on Wednesday that while these would not be formal interviews, the weekend would provide McCain a chance to know some of his potential running mates in a social context.