Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has named Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as convenor of its election management committee.
New Delhi: Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha has been selected as the joint Opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential elections on Tuesday.
Sinha had tweeted a cryptic message earlier in the day. “I am grateful to Mamataji for the honor and prestige she bestowed on me in the TMC. Now a time has come when for a larger national cause I must step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. I am sure she approves of the step,” the tweet read.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former Jammu, and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah, and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi had earlier turned down the offer to be the opposition’s candidate for President.
The Presidential polls are scheduled to be held on July 18.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had called for a meeting with leaders of the opposition last in New Delhi to formulate a joint strategy for the upcoming presidential elections.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has named Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as convenor of its election management committee. BJP general secretaries Vinod Tawde and C T Ravi are the co-conveners of this committee.
The team also includes Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, and Sarbananda Sonowal, MoS Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, MoS Health Bharti Pawar, National general Secretary Tarun Chugh, National Vice President DK Aruna as well as National Secretary Rituraj Sinha. BJP women’s wing chief Vanathi Srinivas, Lok Sabha MP from Silchar Dr. Rajdeep Roy and BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra are also part of this election management committee.
The 16th Presidential polls will be held on July 18 and the counting of votes will be held on July 21.
The date for the filing of nominations is June 30 and the final date for withdrawal of candidature is 2 July.
Current president Ram Nath Kovind serving as the 14th President of India took office on July 25, 2017, and his tenure comes to an end on July 24, 2022.
Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, as well as BJP president J P Nadda, met with Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday ahead of a crucial party meeting on the presidential elections, igniting speculation that Mr. Naidu could be considered for the top constitutional post by the ruling coalition.
The party has also given Mr. Singh and Mr. Nadda permission to speak to various parties, including those in the opposition, about the presidential election.
Mr. Naidu’s meeting is critical since the BJP parliamentary board will meet later today to examine the BJP-led NDA’s presidential nominees.
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