Explained: How Opposition’s efforts to find candidate for Presidential polls have been unsuccessful

Elections for the President’s post, if necessary, will be held on 18 July. AFP

The Presidential polls is not faring well for the Opposition.

After Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah withdrew their names as the joint Opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential elections, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the former West Bengal governor, too declined.

The process to elect a new President began on 15 June with the last date for filing of nominations is 29 June. The polls, if necessary, will be held on 18 July.

Also read: Penning history: The special markers to be used for Presidential polls

Let’s take a look at how the Opposition’s quest to find a presidential candidate has hit a bump time after time and also shows the deep fractures within the 19 parties.

Gopalkrishna says ‘no’

On Monday, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, declined the Opposition’s offer to be a joint candidate in the upcoming Presidential elections.

In a statement, the former civil servant said that the Opposition needs a candidate who will generate a national consensus and ensure unity. “I am most grateful to them [the Opposition],” Gandhi said. “I feel there will be others who will do this far better than I.”

News agency PTI reported Gandhi as saying that the Opposition needed to give the opportunity to another person to contest the elections.

“May India get a President worthy of the office presaged by Rajaji as the last Governor General and inaugurated by Dr Rajendra Prasad as our first President,” he added.

According to reports, Gandhi’s name had emerged in the running due to his illustrious career straddling the world of diplomacy and academia.

One Opposition leader involved in the talks had told Indian Express, “The idea was also to focus on the fact that he is Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson. In the 75th year of India’s Independence, that would have sent out a powerful message, especially when the forces behind the murder of the father of the nation are more emboldened than ever before.”

Gopalkrishna Gandhi said while he was grateful for being considered for the highest office, he felt the Opposition’s candidate should be someone who will generate a national consensus and that he felt there were others who could do this better than him. PTI

Farooq Abdullah bows out

Earlier, National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah’s name had done the rounds.

However, the veteran leader declined the Opposition’s offer, saying Jammu and Kashmir was passing through a critical juncture and required his efforts to navigate uncertain times.

“I believe that Jammu and Kashmir is passing through a critical juncture and my efforts are required to help navigate these uncertain times. Therefore, I would like to respectfully withdraw my name from consideration and I look forward to supporting the joint opposition consensus candidate,” Dr Abdullah said, in a statement.

Abdullah said he had a lot more active politics ahead of him and looked forward to making a positive contribution in the service of J&K and the country.

Abdullah, also thanked West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for proposing his name.

National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah declined the Opposition’s offer, saying he had a lot more active politics ahead of him. PTI

It all began with Sharad Pawar

Ever since the schedule for the Presidential polls were announced, the name of NCP chief Sharad Pawar kept cropping up. The 81-year-old found support in the Congress as well as other Opposition parties for the top position of the country.

However, the NCP leader was reluctant to join the race, with his party saying that its leader did not want to fight a losing battle.

A senior NCP minister said that Pawar is a “people’s man” and won’t “restrict himself to the Rashtrapati Bhavan”. “…I don’t think he is keen on it (contesting the election). Saheb (Pawar) is a people’s man who loves meeting people. He will not restrict himself to the Rashtrapati Bhavan,” news agency PTI quoted the leader as saying.

So, then who?

The opposition leaders are determined to put up a united fight against the BJP in the Presidential polls.

It has now emerged that Trinamool Congress leader and former Union minister Yashwant Sinha is being considered as the Opposition’s joint candidate for the Presidential elections.

On Tuesday, he announced that he would be stepping aside from party work for the larger national cause of Opposition unity; an indication that he is being considered as the joint candidate for the Presidential elections.

The decision to step down comes as Opposition leaders will meet today to finalise the name of a joint candidate and chalk out a strategy for the upcoming polls.

With inputs from agencies

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