Presidential election: Nitish chooses to skip Sonia’s Opposition meeting to discuss consensus candidate

Ahead of the presidential election in July, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has invited leaders from Opposition for a luncheon at her residence tomorrow.

Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, however, will not attend the meeting. Senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav would attend the luncheon.

JD(U)’s alliance partner in Bihar Rashtriya Janata Dal will be represented by party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja are also expected to attend the luncheon meet at Sonia Gandhi’s residence.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who met Sonia Gandhi recently, is likely to be present at tomorrow’s meet.

TRYING TO FORM AN ALLIANCE

Discussion on a consensus candidate for the presidential election will be taken up at the meet.

The term of current President Pranab Mukherjee ends in July and the ruling BJP-led NDA front is yet to name its candidate for the country’s top post.

The Opposition-led by the Congress is trying to clobber an alliance with other parties to arrive at a consensus candidate who can give a fight to the ruling party’s candidate.

Mamata Banerjee has already conveyed that her party is in favour of a consensus candidate for the presidential election.

DMK leader Kanimozhi has invited Sonia Gandhi for her father and DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s 94th birthday celebrations in Chennai on June 3, when another meeting of opposition leaders is likely to take place.

PROBABLE CONTENDERS

Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar’s names have been doing the rounds as possible presidential candidates of the Opposition.

According to sources in the Congress, former governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s distinguished career and the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi are likely to tip the scales in his favour for a consensus presidential candidate.

In the BJP corridors, Jharkhand governor Draupadi Murmu is believed to be the frontrunner among other contenders.

Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi and former Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam’s names have been also been floated as NDA’s probable picks for the President of India.

Courtesy: IndiaToday.in