By G Krishna Mohan Rao
New Delhi: The non-Bharatiya Janata Party Opposition is meeting here tomorrow to work out a consensus for its candidate in the Presidential polls, even as Maratha leader Sharad Pawar refuses to be the candidate. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took the initiative last week and invited 22 opposition leaders to the Constitution Club here tomorrow to explore various possibilities for putting up a “ progressive” and ‘“secular” candidate against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance for the July 18, 2022, election.
To this effect, Mamata Bannerjee, who arrived at the national capital today, met the Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar and discussed his candidature for the Presidency as well as an opposition alliance in the election. It was learnt that Mamata tried to convince Pawar but he refused to be the Opposition candidate in the election. Many Opposition party leaders felt that the Maratha leader could be the right choice given his “stature and connections”. It may be recalled that for the last two days, Pawar’s name has been doing rounds in the Opposition circles as a strong Presidential candidate.
Besides Mamata, the Left leaders also called on Sharad Pawar today and discussed his name as well as various possible candidates, sources said. Pawar learnt to have indicated to various leaders that he wants to be active in politics for some time. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) general secretary Sitaram Yechuri and the Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja met Pawar in the morning separately. Later, Yechuri said in a statement, “I have been informed that Pawar will not be the Opposition face for the Presidential polls, other names are under consideration”. The CPM general secretary hinted that since Pawar had declined, the Opposition would come up with their candidate by June 21. Lastly today, even the Aam Aadmi Party leaders requested Pawar to reconsider his decision, but Pawar again ruled himself out.
Even before Mamata, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also took initiative for stitching an Opposition alliance and involved CPM and Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) in initiating informal consultations. Congress sources said that under no circumstances they would budge to the ruling BJP. Though the BJP has an edge in the electoral college, the need of the hour is for the Opposition to sink their differences and put up a united show. The country needed a President who can protect the Constitution during challenging times, a Congress spokesman said. It is learnt that Mamata Bannerjee as well as senior Congress leaders would be holding informal discussions with the regional party heads, today and tomorrow since the primary aim is to pick a correct candidate who could be acceptable to Opposition parties.
Since Sonia Gandhi is in hospital, the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has been deputed to represent Congress for tomorrow’s meeting to discuss a joint Presidential nominee. In fact, a few days ago, Mallikarjun Kharge met Pawar in Mumbai and discussed probable candidates including Pawar himself. Sources said that during discussions, Pawar hinted at Gulam Nabi Azad’s name to be the candidate and Kharge did not respond. Similarly, Mamata’s Trinamul Congress is willing to push former finance minister Yashwant Sinha’s name but the Left rejected it outright, sources said.
There had been speculation that the Congress Party could skip tomorrow’s meeting since Mamata Bannerjee did not send invitations to Congress Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, while she invited all the Opposition CMs. Even Left parties were miffed and angry over Mamata Bannerjee’s unilateral decision to invite Opposition parties for talks, without consultations. However, the CPI general secretary A Raja indicated that the Left parties would send their representatives.
Many Opposition party leaders felt that Mamata without asking anybody dashed off the letter to 22 politicians of non-BJP outfits for unity in the Presidential polls and invited them to Delhi on June 15, 2022. Normally, these meetings are decided after consultations and fixed on a mutually convenient date. Usually, the single largest party takes the initiative. These consultations were already going on when the letter was sent by Mamata Bannerjee. Some in the Opposition camp argued Mamata’s move may not be seen as a case of brinkmanship.
On the other side, the ruling BJP is marginally short of the required numbers to get its nominee elected as the next President of India but may eventually succeed in garnering support. Party chief J P Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who were appointed by the leadership to negotiate with like-minded parties, are learnt to be holding back-channel consultations with like-minded parties. Sources say that the YSR-CP led by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh is all set to extend support to the BJP, for various reasons. Even during the last Presidential election, Jagan Mohan Reddy supported the BJP candidate.
Similarly, Naveen Patnaik of Biju Janata Dal, of Odisha, may extend support to the BJP candidate, as he did during the last Presidential election in 2017 also. Meanwhile, there is total silence in the BJP camp over the Presidential candidate. A section of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is learnt to strongly support Vice President Venkaiah Naidu being elevated to Raisina Hill. Several Governors’ names are also doing rounds though.
