Presidential polls 2022: Mamata Banerjee's BIG opposition meet today; Sharad Pawar says 'not in race'

The Opposition meet, called by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will be held at the Constitution Club in the national capital to reach a consensus over a joint opposition candidate for the next presidential elections.

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has convened a meeting of various opposition parties to deliberate on the opposition's choice of the presidential nominee on Wednesday. Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, has convened the meeting on Wednesday (June 15) at the Constitution Club in the national capital for discussions to come out with a consensus opposition candidate.

Some opposition leaders had proposed the name of NCP patron Sharad Pawar, but the veteran leader has declined to contest. The election to elect a successor to incumbent Ram Nath Kovind would be held on July 18. Kovind had defeated joint opposition nominee Meira Kumar in the last presidential poll.

Mamata and Left leaders met NCP chief Sharad Pawar separately on Tuesday trying to convince the veteran leader to be the joint opposition nominee for the presidential election. Pawar, however, refused, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said after his meeting with him.

Pawar met Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, and NCP leaders Praful Patel and P C Chacko in Delhi and conveyed to them his decision to not contest the election. "I have been informed that Pawar will not be the Opposition face for the presidential poll, other names are under consideration," said Yechury. Opposition sources said Pawar was not keen to enter a battle that he is destined to lose at this point in his political career. 

Banerjee's decision has, however, come in for sharp criticism by the Left, a TMC adversary in West Bengal. Miffed at the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's "unilateral" decision to call a meeting for discussion on a joint presidential nominee, the CPI(M) and the CPI on Tuesday said they will send their MPs to the opposition meet to be held here on June 15.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja said the top leadership will not attend the meeting called by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief. The CPI(M) will be represented in the meeting by the leader of the party in Rajya Sabha, Elamaram Kareem.

Yechury has also written a letter to Banerjee saying such meetings of opposition parties have always followed a procedure of prior mutual consultations to enable the maximum participation of those wishing to join.

"However, in this instance, we received a unilateral communication informing the date, time, venue and agenda. Your letter mentions 'a fruitful confluence of opposition voices is the need of the hour'. This could have been better achieved if there had been mutual consultation and a proper time to enable party leaders to reschedule their prior commitments to attend such a meeting.

The Congress, despite its reservations over Banerjee unilaterally convening the meeting, is likely to send its representatives. Congress sources said Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala may attend the meeting.

The Congress, in spite of its diminution following a string of electoral losses, retains its preeminence among opposition parties because of its pan-India presence. It was also the first off the blocks to start exploring the possibility of putting up a joint opposition candidate for the presidential election.

Soon after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the election, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had nominated Kharge as the interlocutor to engage other opposition parties in discussions.

Banerjee, whose relations with the Congress have soured since her return to power for a third straight term in West Bengal, gave a short shrift to the main opposition party and called a meeting to discuss the opposition strategy for the presidential election.

Several other opposition parties are likely to attend the meeting called by Banerjee and take forward the discussion on fielding a common candidate. The election of the President of India will be held on July 18.

With numbers on its side--the ruling NDA has about half the votes of the electoral college--and the possible support of fence-sitters like the BJD, AIADMK and YSRCP, its candidate will likely sail through the contest.

(With Agency Inputs)