Following the Sonia-Mamata meeting last week, the major Opposition parties has decided to expedite its efforts and also take the support from other regional parties to reach a consensus for a joint Presidential candidate. Congress sources said efforts are on to bring political rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party on the same page as also Naveen Patnaik’s BJD in Odisha.
The Congress leadership is planning to hold separate meetings with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati, and Patnaik over the next few days. Sources said that the Congress might also approach the Shiv Sena in view of its Udhhav Thackeray’s strained relation with the BJP leaders.
Congress president Sonia Gadhi has already held talks with key players like Sharad Pawar, Nitish Kumar, who is also the JD(U) president,
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D Raja, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Sonia is likely to hold talks with some other leaders this week and among them could be BSP supremo Mayawati.
The talk of a consensus candidate gained momentum after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar spoke in favour of a second term for incumbent Pranab Mukherjee and prodded the NDA Government to build a consensus around him.
The Congress, to which Mukherjee belonged before becoming the President, has so far been non-committal on a second term for him. “It is up to the Government to bring about a consensus among all on a candidate it proposes,” a senior Congress leader said, and maintained the Modi dispensation was unlikely to support Mukherjee for a second term.
Despite BJP’s emphatic victories in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the NDA is still short of 20,000 electoral college votes to have the candidate of its choice occupy the top constitutional position. The KCR Congress and the ruling TRS of Telangana have already promised to back the NDA nominee in the election.
Opposition sources said its candidate for the top post could be a non-Congressman. The names of former West Bengal Governor, the euridite Gopal Krishna Gandhi, former lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar and JD(U) veteran Sharad Yadav and NCP chief Sharad Pawar are doing the rounds in political lobbies as possible opposition nominee.
The Congress’ communications department chief Randeep Surjewala said,” All opposition parties including the Congress will work to build a consensus for a candidate with unquestionable record of dedication and commitment to the founding principles of Constitution, bereft of political colour or pressure from the ruling dispensation.”