Prez poll: BJP keeps cards close to its chest

Likely to discuss three names with allies, Oppn

BJP chief Amit Shah on Friday said the government will consult the Opposition at “an appropriate time” for the presidential poll, after non-NDA parties left it to the ruling dispensation to select a consensus candidate.

Shah’s response came while replying to a query on 17 Opposition parties coming together to show their strength ahead of the presidential election.

The Opposition wants the Narendra Modi government to name its candidate first, but the BJP is likely to make an announcement after the Election Commission sets the ball rolling.

“I would not like to comment... they are free to attempt to build a coalition unity,” said Shah.

A source in the party said the BJP has not initiated formal interactions on the presidential poll. But Shah reportedly broached the topic at a meeting with TDP leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu during a recent tour of the state for increasing the BJP’s footprints in the south.

Talks with the RSS, the BJP’s ideological mentor, would be held soon, another source said.

To avoid any leaks, the BJP is likely to have a panel of three names on which consultations will be held with NDA allies and later with the Opposition. If consensus does not emerge, then the BJP would not hesitate to go for elections.

The BJP managers claim they are confident of bridging the gap of less than 20,000-value votes required to instal their nominee in the Rashtrapati Bhavan ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.