Page 8 - The Indian EYE 062422

NATION JUNE 24, 2022 | The Indian Eye 8

Pawar, Abdullah or Gopal Gandhi? Oppn parties

trying to build consensus on next President

Mamata Banerjee’s decision to convene a meeting of opposition parties on presidential polls is being seen as a move to
emerge as an anchor of the larger grouping opposed to the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

OUR BUREAU the constitution and stop Modi gov-
ernment from doing further damage
New Delhi/Kolkata
to Indian democracy and India’s so-
s part of the BJP’s reach out cial fabric”.
to various parties in the NDA Congress leader Mallikarjun
Aas also in opposition for the Kharge, who attended the meeting
presidential poll, Defense Minister of opposition parties on presidential
Rajnath Singh on Wednesday spoke polls on Wednesday, made an appar-
to Janta Dal-United leader and Bi- ently cryptic remark saying he was in
har Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. As the process of talking to like-minded
per the sources, the Defense Minister parties to field a common candidate
who is also the Deputy Leader of BJP and Trinamool Congress Mamata
in Lok Sabha, spoke to Nitish Kumar Banerjee convened the meeting.
this morning for building a consensus Mamata Banerjee’s decision to
on the candidate for the upcoming convene a meeting of opposition par-
presidential elections. ties on presidential polls is also being
Sources said it was conveyed to seen as a move to emerge as an an-
Nitish Kumar that an attempt is be- chor of the larger grouping opposed
ing made to put up a consensus can- Mamata Banerjee with Sharad Pawar and Mallikarjun Kharge at the Constitution Club of India, to the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha
didate. It is also being reported that in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo/ Ishant Kumar) polls.
Kumar has assured that his party will After Congress president Sonia
be supporting the candidature as Gandhi asked him to hold talks with
proposed by the BJP-led NDA. opposition parties earlier this month
The discussion over the pres- on fielding a common candidate in
idential election was initiated last presidential polls, Kharge had met
month when Union Minister Dhar- NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
mendra Pradhan had visited Bihar In his remarks at the meeting of
and met Kumar. opposition parties on Wednesday,
The Bihar Chief Minister had Kharge said after the notification
earlier scotched speculation about for the Presidential elections was
the possibility of his being a candi- released, Sonia Gandhi had asked
date and had said that he was not in him to speak to leaders of various
the presidential race. BJP and JD-U parties “opposed to the divisive and
had together won the last assembly destructive policies of the RSS/BJP
polls in Bihar. Apart from Nitish Ku- to explore the possibility of a joint
mar, Union Minister Rajnath Singh candidate”.
has already spoken to Naveen Pat- “I had been in touch with a num-
naik of Biju Janta Dal and also to the ber of you. Now Mamataji has con-
YSRC leadership. vened this meeting,” he said.
Meanwhile, after attending Mamata Banerjee welcomes Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Mallikarjun Kharge on their He said the consensus candidate
the meeting called by Trinamool “should be someone committed to
Congress leader and West Bengal arrival to attend the Opposition leaders’ meeting ahead of the Presidential poll (ANI Photo) upholding the Constitution of In-
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, dia, its values, principles and provi-
Jharkhand Lok Sabha MP Vijay mo Sharad Pawar would prepare a ing held in Delhi. However, I like to sions in letter and spirit, someone
Hansdak on Wednesday confirmed blueprint for the second meeting state that I have humbly declined the committed to guaranteeing that all
that Banerjee mentioned two more which would follow soon. proposal of my candidature.” institutions of our democracy func-
names besides Sharad Pawar for the But Nationalist Congress Par- The meeting had adopted a res- tion without fear or favor, someone
presidential elections. “Mamata Ba- ty (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on olution to field a common candidate committed to protecting the rights
nerjee mentioned two more names Wednesday declined the Opposition in the election slated for July 18. The of all our citizens and preserving the
besides Sharad Pawar, which include leaders’ proposal to become the can- meeting was attended by leaders secular fabric of our diverse society,
the names of Farooq Abdullah and didate for election of President of from 17 opposition parties. It coin- someone committed to speaking out
Gopalkrishna Gandhi. However, India. Taking to Twitter, he wrote, cided with the date of notification for boldly against the forces of prejudice,
on these two names, no other party “I sincerely appreciate the leaders of the presidential polls. hatred, bigotry and polarization and
leader expressed an opinion in this opposition parties for suggesting my Sudheendra Kulkarni said oppo- someone committed to being a pow-
meeting,” said MP Vijay Hansdak. name as a candidate for the election sition parties are keen on a candidate erful force for furthering social jus-
He highlighted that NCP supre- of the President of India, at the meet- “who can truly serve as custodian of tice and empowerment”.

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