New Delhi: With Congress party in disarray and its numbers clipped, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee has taken the charge to put forward a united Opposition candidate for the Presidential Elections.
The West Bengal CM is set to meet several opposition parties in the national capital today to chalk out strategy for Prez polls and also forging consensus for fielding a consensus candidate.
About 16 parties including Congerss representatives are likely to attend the Opposition meet but some have chosen to give a miss. The most prominent ones inlcude Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) & Biju Janata Dal (BJD). All these parties are adversaries of BJP led government, still they haven’t shown willingness to join meet, chaired by Mamata Banerjee.
Kejriwal-led AAP said that the party will consider this issue after candidate for Presidential election is issued while Telangana CM-led TRS party opted out of the proposed meet on premise of Congress being a part of the group.
Reports said that TRS doesn’t want to share a platform with Congress as the latter is its main opponent in Telangana.
With Pawar opting out, Oppn blank on Prez candidate
The Opposition’s hopes of challenging BJP in the Presidential election suferred a setback with NCP chief Sharad Pawar declining an offer to lead the charge against ruling dispensation. Citing his desire to stay in active politics than occupying a constitutional post has already weakend the Opposition pitch.
The Opposition faces twin challenge of finalising a Presidential candidate and also brining all parties on board to present even a timid challenge to BJP.
The Left parties have already scoffed at Mamata’s ‘unilateral’ decision to call a meeting of Opposition. Didi’s outreach to anti-BJP parties has further exposed the fautllines within the Opposition, rather than building a united front.
As per calculations, the BJP is in comfortable position and given its numbers in LS, RS and state assemblies, its candidate is likely to sail through easily in the Presidential elections.
