Gopal Krishna Gandhi is opposition choice for VP poll

Gopal Krishna Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagopalchari and former West Bengal Governor, was on Tuesday unanimously chosen as the joint opposition candidate for the vice presidential election scheduled on August 5.

The 72-year-old Gandhi, who was also considered as the candidate for the presidential election but lost out to former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, was the only name discussed at a meeting of leaders of 18 opposition parties convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Gopal Gandhi's name was proposed by Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien and supported by all the leaders present.

After clinching unanimity over the vice presidential nominee, a three-member team comprising Ghulam Nabi Azad, O'Brien and Sitaram Yechury made a phone call to Gandhi, who was in the middle of a lecture at the Ashoka University in Sonepat, Haryana.

“We have spoken to Gopal Krishna Gandhi. He has agreed to be the Opposition's candidate for vice president election,” the Congress President announced to the waiting media persons.

Informally, opposition leaders had been discussing possible candidates for the last few days and had agreed to put a final seal of approval on Gopal Gandhi's candidature at the meeting convened by the Congress President.

Unlike the Presidential election, the opposition parties did not wait for the BJP to announce its candidate. BJP's choice of Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit leader, for the post of the President had created fissures within the opposition alliance.

JD (U), helmed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had announced its support to Kovind and blamed the Congress for delaying the selection of the opposition candidate.

On Tuesday, senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav was present at the meeting of opposition leaders and announced his party's support for Gopal Gandhi.

Members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, elect the vice president. The numbers are clearly stacked in favour of the BJP, which is yet to announce its candidate for the August 5 poll.

In the electoral college of 790, the NDA enjoys the support of 550 members, but opposition leaders were keen to put up a candidate to project a united front against the BJP in the “battle of ideologies”.

Among the leaders present on Tuesday included, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ghulam Nabi Azad, O'Brien(Trinamool), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Omar Abdullah (National Conference), former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, D Raja (CPI), Praful Patel (NCP), Jayprakash Narayan Yadav (RJD), Naresh Agarwal (SP), S C Mishra (BSP).