At least 17 Opposition parties will meet on Tuesday for what is likely to be a decisive round of discussion to pick their consensus candidate for the Presidential election next month, people familiar with the matter said.
With Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and J&K National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah last week ruling themselves out of the race, all eyes are now on Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson and former diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi as the possible consensus candidate for the poll.
While the election will be held on July 18, the votes will be counted on July 21.
According to two senior Congress and Left leaders, internal consultations within opposition parties are in full swing to secure a consensus candidate before the meeting at Parliament annexe building on Tuesday.
“Talks with just two-three parties are left to be carried out,” a top-ranking Opposition leader said, seeking anonymity.
In the last meeting held on June 15, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had proposed two names – Gandhi and Abdullah – as the opposition’s candidate after Pawar refused to fight the poll in order to continue his “service for the well-being of common man”.
Days later, Abdullah too, refused to fight the poll, saying, “I believe that Jammu & Kashmir is passing through a critical juncture and my efforts are required to help navigate these uncertain times.”
A section of the Opposition is in touch with Gandhi and trying to pursue him to contest this election, the people cited above said.
“I was asked if I would consider contesting if a consensus around my name was to arise and I said I would need time to think about it,” Gandhi had said last week.
In 2017, Gandhi had fought the Vice President’s election against Venkaiah Naidu but failed to win. This time, his candidature enjoys support from a wide range of parties, including Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its arch rival Left parties.
With no other proposals for active consideration, senior Opposition leaders are waiting for Gandhi’s response on fighting the poll, the people cited above said.
A second top-ranking Opposition leader said while Banerjee had suggested Gandhi as the possible candidate during the June 15 meeting, the former diplomat’s name had already figured during an internal discussion of opposition leaders long ago.
“For the past one month, we have consulted both (Congress leaders) Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and some other leaders about the possibility of fielding Gopal Krishna Gandhi as the Opposition’s candidate” the second leader on condition of anonymity.
The Congress has not proposed any name but it will wholeheartedly support Gandhi’s candidature, a senior Congress leader said.
“We might even press for the announcement of the candidate in the June 21 meeting without waiting for the ruling dispensation to announce its nominee,” another Congress leader quipped, pointing out that leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had in the last meeting said that opposition parties need “to be proactive and not reactive.”
Meanwhile, Banerjee is unlikely to attend the upcoming meeting. Her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, and some other party MPs are expected to represent the TMC at the meeting.
CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who skipped the last meeting that was convened by Banerjee, will join the June 21 discussions, party functionaries said.
