Pawar not to run for Prez poll, Oppn to meet again to find consensus candidate

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who had invited 22 Opposition parties for a meeting on Wednesday, said, ‘Today is the beginning. We had requested Sharad Pawar ji to become our candidate but he has not agreed’

The Opposition parties’ meeting convened by West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi on Wednesday decided to meet again next week to find a consensus candidate for the presidential election after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar did not agree to run for the top post, leaders familiar with the matter said.

Mamata Banerjee last week wrote to 22 non-BJP leaders, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and eight chief ministers over the Presidential election, saying it is a perfect opportunity for all progressive Opposition parties to deliberate on the future course of Indian politics. (ANI)

“Today is the beginning. We had requested Sharad Pawar ji to become our candidate but he has not agreed, said Banerjee. “In this situation, let all the parties think about a candidate and discuss it with Sharad ji and others,” she added.

Banerjee last week wrote to 22 non-BJP leaders, including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and eight chief ministers over the election, saying it is a perfect opportunity for all progressive opposition parties to deliberate on the future course of Indian politics. She called the meeting two days after the Election Commission of India Thursday last announced the presidential election will be held on July 18, six days before President Ram Nath Kovind’s term ends. Votes will be counted on July 21.

Representatives of 17 Opposition parties met to discuss the July 18 presidential election nominee of the non-NDA camp.

Leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, NCP, DMK, RJD, Shiv Sena, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), National Conference, PDP, JD(S), RSP, IUML, RLD and the JMM attended the meeting, which began at 3pm at the Constitution Club in the national capital, while the AAP, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Odisha’s ruling BJD and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) skipped it.

Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel of the NCP, Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala of the Congress, HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S), Akhilesh Yadav of the SP, Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference were among the prominent leaders present in the meeting.

During the next few days, Banerjee, Pawar and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge will be in touch with various constituents of the opposition bloc to find a consensus candidate for the presidential election.

To be sure, the Opposition parties have little chance of winning the poll and the NDA is far ahead of the combined tally of the parties that attended the meeting. Moreover, it is likely to get support from AIADMK, BJD and YSRCP.

A section of the Opposition, especially the Left leaders present in the meeting proposed Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson and former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi’s name as a possible candidate. A section of leaders also suggested National Conference (NC) supremo Farooq Abdullah’s name, said people familiar with the matter.

(With agency inputs)