<div align="justify">CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi here on Tuesday against the backdrop of his re-nomination to the Rajya Sabha and the upcoming presidential election.<br /> <br />Yechury's tenure as Rajya Sabha member ends on July 18 and the Congress is keen to support him if he seeks re-election from West Bengal.<br /> <br />Yechury, who plays a key role in devising the opposition strategy in the Rajya Sabha, has already declined the Congress offer citing party convention of not giving more than two terms in the Upper House.<br /> <br />A section of the CPI(M) is keen on nominating Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat to the Rajya Sabha, but the Congress is not keen on supporting any one but Yechury. A Central Committee member drew the red line on Yechury's re-nomination arguing that it was against the party convention.<br /> <br />Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has conveyed to Congress President Sonia Gandhi her displeasure on the party's support for Yechury's candidature. Banerjee has suggested to Gandhi on nominating Sharmishtha Mukherjee, the daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, to the Upper House.<br /> <br />Opposition leaders are planning to have a meeting here on Friday, the third anniversary of the Modi government, to put up a show of unity against the NDA.<br /> <br />Banerjee is scheduled to reach the national capital on Wednesday evening, while RJD supremo Lalu Prasad is expected arrive on Thursday.<br /> <br />Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi is seen as the most favoured choice of the opposition parties as the joint candidate for the presidential elections.<br /> <br />The Congress President and the vice president have held consultations with a cross section of opposition leaders for a consensus on the presidential nominee. Efforts were also being made to get on board BJD supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.<br /><br /></div>
<div align="justify">CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi here on Tuesday against the backdrop of his re-nomination to the Rajya Sabha and the upcoming presidential election.<br /> <br />Yechury's tenure as Rajya Sabha member ends on July 18 and the Congress is keen to support him if he seeks re-election from West Bengal.<br /> <br />Yechury, who plays a key role in devising the opposition strategy in the Rajya Sabha, has already declined the Congress offer citing party convention of not giving more than two terms in the Upper House.<br /> <br />A section of the CPI(M) is keen on nominating Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat to the Rajya Sabha, but the Congress is not keen on supporting any one but Yechury. A Central Committee member drew the red line on Yechury's re-nomination arguing that it was against the party convention.<br /> <br />Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has conveyed to Congress President Sonia Gandhi her displeasure on the party's support for Yechury's candidature. Banerjee has suggested to Gandhi on nominating Sharmishtha Mukherjee, the daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, to the Upper House.<br /> <br />Opposition leaders are planning to have a meeting here on Friday, the third anniversary of the Modi government, to put up a show of unity against the NDA.<br /> <br />Banerjee is scheduled to reach the national capital on Wednesday evening, while RJD supremo Lalu Prasad is expected arrive on Thursday.<br /> <br />Former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi is seen as the most favoured choice of the opposition parties as the joint candidate for the presidential elections.<br /> <br />The Congress President and the vice president have held consultations with a cross section of opposition leaders for a consensus on the presidential nominee. Efforts were also being made to get on board BJD supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.<br /><br /></div>
