NEW DELHI: The BJP reaching out to the opposition to build a consensus on Presidential candidate has not gone well with the Opposition, which feels that with no name on the table by the ruling party, the whole exercise was a deliberate strategy.
After ruling party deliberations, the opposition is expected to meet to discuss the future strategy. According to sources, the general feeling is that when the BJP has not revealed any names, then the Opposition should announce their candidate by the mid of next week.
The Opposition is expected to meet soon to discuss the matter at a common platform. Backdoor talks are happening among various opposition parties and it is likely to pick up after the BJP’s stand today. Earlier, a unanimous decision was made to wait for the BJP to announce its candidate.
The BJP Friday started the exercise to reach out to the Opposition with Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Samajwadi Party Mulayam Singh Yadav, BSP’s Satish Chandra Mishra and CPI D Raja. The exercise is likely to continue another day.
CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury feels that the with no candidate name, the whole was a PR exercise and how can there be a consensus with no name.
“They came to discuss President Election and asked us if we have any probable names. We told them there are lots of names being floated and we would like to know their names. It is about putting a political fight and Presidential elections are always contested except in 1977, when Neelam Sanjiva Reddy became the president,” said Yechury.
The notification for Presidential Election was issued June 14 and polling will be held on July 17 and counting on July 20. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaving for a three-nation trip on June 24, the BJP is likely to announce its candidate before his visit.