Ahead of Presidential polls, Rajnath Singh reaches out to Opposition leaders
New Delhi, June 15: Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday reached out to Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee among other opposition leaders ahead of the upcoming presidential elections even as Opposition parties, after a meeting convened by the West Bengal chief minister, announced that they will put up a consensus candidate.
Sources further said that the Union Minister also spoke to Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav earlier on Wednesday and sought their opinion on candidates for the July 18 presidential elections. However, the three leaders have urged the government to declare the BJP-led NDA's nominees for the Presidential polls.
Meanwhile, Kharge said that "Congress will play a constructive role in ensuring that a consensus is reached over candidate's name. Let's be proactive, not reactive. Congress has no particular candidate in mind, will sit with others to arrive at a name acceptable to all."
A key meeting of opposition parties convened by Mamata Banerjee to build consensus on fielding a common candidate against the NDA in the presidential election in the national capital drew leaders from 17 political parties.
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"Several parties were here today. We've decided we will choose only one consensus candidate. Everybody will give this candidate our support. We will consult with others. This is a good beginning. We sat together after several months, and we will do it again," TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee stated after the meeting.
Mamta Banarjee has nominated NCP's Sharad Pawar as the Opposition's Presidential candidate, according to CPI MP Binoy Viswam, who attended the meeting. That proposal, however, was rejected by Pawar.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the TMC, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPIML, RSP, Shiv Sena, NCP, RJD, SP, National Conference, PDP, JD(S), DMK, RLD, IUML, and JMM.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) decided not to send a delegate to the meeting.
The presidential election is set to take place on July 18, with results to be announced on July 21.
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-PTC News
