If no consensual candidates emerge, will decide our next move: Opposition on Presidential polls

New Delhi: The Opposition on Friday did not reveal what will be their next course of action in case they fail to arrive at a consensual candidate for the Presidential polls with the ruling BJP.

President Pranab Mukherjee's term ends in July.

Asked what transpired in the meeting at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's luncheon, party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said no decision has been taken yet.

“This hasn't happened so far, if acceptable consensual candidates don't emerge then we (opposition parties) shall decide,” he told reporters after the meeting.

“Normal practice has been ruling party takes initiative to build consensus on names of candidates (President and Vice President),” Azad added.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday hosted a luncheon meeting to deliberate on a consensus candidate for the Presidential election.

Leaders of 17 Opposition parties, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad, attended the meeting.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not attend because of a prior engagement, PTI reported.

Among the names doing the rounds as opposition's consensus candidates are ex-governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and ex-Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar.

The ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, which has a clear edge in the Presidential polls, has not given any inkling so far on its choice of candidate.