New Delhi: Ruling and Opposition parties are working out the kinks to choose the next president of India and the process seems to be headier this time with the Opposition has ganged up to find their consensual candidate.
Ruling BJP is working its way to get the support of some of the Opposition parties; sources say Defence Minister Rajnath Singh talked over phone with many Opposition leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Mamata Banerjee, and Akhilesh Yadav, on Wednesday, requesting suggestions.
Other key Opposition leaders including NCP's Sharad Pawar and NC's Farooq Abdullah were known to have been contacted by the BJP leadership for support ahead of the presidential polls on July 18.
However, Pawar, and Farooq Abdullah were bandied about by the Opposition leaders as potential candidates for the top job.
On Wednesday 17 Opposition parties attended a meeting convened by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, discussing potential candidates including Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abdullah alongside putting on the list as the third candidate the former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishan Gandhi.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, according to the Indian Express, spoke to Pawar, Banerjee, Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Mayawati (BSP), Shibu Soren (JMM), Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik (BJD), Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSR-CP), and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar whose JD(U) is part of the ruling NDA coalition.
The party chief J P Nadda, another leader authorised by BJP to interact with opposition for presidential candidate, reportedly reached out to Farooq Abdullah , Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma (NPP), leaders of the All Jharkhand Students' Union, Naga People's Front, among others.
Mamata Banerjee after the Wednesday's meeting said Pawar's name emerged in the discussion but the NCP leader was not willing to contest. Hours later Pawar took to Twitter thanking Opposition but declined to contest saying that " I am happy to continue my service for the well-being of the common man".
Leaders of Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPIML, RSP, Shiv Sena, NCP, RJD, SP, National Conference, PDP, JD(S), DMK, RLD, IUML and JMM attended at the meeting called by Mamata Banerjee.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi responded that it was too premature to comment on the development. The resolution adopted by the meeting said the Opposition parties decided to field a common candidate to become the custodian of the Constitution and stop the Modi government from further damaging the democracy.
Mamata Banerjee condemned the ED' grilling of Rahul Gandhi, saying that he was being harassed while corrupt BJP leaders were treated as holy cows, the report said.
The BJP-led NDA has over 48 per cent of the vote share in the Electoral College for choosing the new President.