Presidential polls: Oppn wants consensus, to see if govt picks secular candidate

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is chairing a meeting of opposition leaders to discuss strategy for the upcoming Presidential elections.

Opposition parties said they will prefer a consensus candidate for the presidential polls if the government fields a “good, secular candidate, familiar with the Constitution” said West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Friday after a meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

West Bengal chief minister speaks to reporters after the meeting in Parliament on Friday. (ANI Twitter)

CPI’s D Raja said the opposition had decided that there will be “no compromise on the credentials of secularism, democratic values and understanding of Constitution”.

The opposition, said the Trinamool Congress chief, has decided to wait for the Narendra Modi government to announce its candidate. If the government’s candidate doesn’t meet the requirements, the parties will form a panel to select their own.

Gandhi is chairing a meeting of opposition leaders to discuss strategy for the upcoming Presidential elections.

The meeting, being held at Parliament, is still on. Sources said the government’s demonetisation move, caste clashes in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur and Kashmir were also discussed.

BSP chief Mayawati said the government’s performance in three years was also on the agenda. “Under the Modi rule, the poor, dalit, tribal, minorities and farmers are suffering,” she said.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad said the government’s only “achievement” is that “for the first time, the Pakistan flag is fluttering in Kashmir.”