The BJP authorised its president J P Nadda and Union minister Rajnath Singh to hold consultations with different political parties, including those in the opposition, on the president’s election, in what is being seen as an outreach by the ruling party to arrive at a consensus on the choice for the top constitutional post.
In a statement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the two senior leaders will talk to both ruling NDA and opposition UPA constituents, besides other political parties as well as independent members.
They will soon begin holding these consultations, the party said.
Opposition parties had accused the BJP during the last presidential polls in 2017 of reaching out to them at the last moment, after it had already finalised the choice of Ram Nath Kovind, who went on the become the president.
The opposition had forced a contest by backing Meira Kumar, who lost to Kovind.The presidential polls will be held on July 18.
MEANWHILE Trinamool Congress chief Mamamta banarjee on Saturday invited leaders of 19 political parties to a meeting in Delhi on June 15 to discuss the upcoming presidential election, The Indian Express reported.
the PRESIDENT is elected by the members of the electoral college consisting of members of both houses of Parliament and elected members of the legislative assemblies of all states, including the union territories of Delhi and Puducherry.
Banerjee said that the election gives the “perfect opportunity for all progressive opposition parties” to discuss the future course of Indian politics. “At a time when our democracy is going through troubling times, I believe that a fruitful confluence of opposition voices is the need of the hour,” she said.
The West Bengal chief minister said that all progressive forces need to align with each other and “resist the divisive force” that is hurting India.
Banerjee addressed the letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray, Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pinarayi Vijayan.
