By Online Desk
NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata has proposed the names of Farooq Abdullah and Gopalkrishna Gandhi as the Opposition’s Presidential candidates on a day when she convened a meeting of leaders from 17 parties.
Her suggestion came after NCP chief Sharad Pawar declined the offer to contest for the highest post in the land saying he “still has an active political innings to play”.
The New Indian Express had reported that Pawar was plumping for his long-time friend Farooq instead. The report had also mentioned that the Left was keen on fielding former Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson. Gopal Gandhi had dropped out last time after the Congress fielded Meira Kumar, and may or may not agree this time around.
On being asked about the presidential election race, Gopal Gandhi told news agency PTI, “It is too premature to comment on it.” Abdullah has not commented about this development so far.
At present, the ruling NDA has about half the votes of the electoral college. With the possible support of fence-sitters such as BJD, AIADMK and YSRCP, the NDA candidate should sail through.
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The crucial meeting of Opposition parties to build consensus on fielding a joint candidate saw leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, NCP, DMK, RJD and the Left parties in attendance, while the AAP, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Odisha’s ruling BJD skipped it.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) too skipped the meeting at the Constitution Club in the national capital.
Leaders of Shiv Sena, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), National Conference, PDP, JD(S), RSP, IUML, RLD and the JMM were also the meeting, which took place on a day when the nomination for the Presidential election began.
Apart from Pawar, NCP leader Praful Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala of the Congress, HD Deve Gowda and H D 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 in the meeting.
