After Sharad Pawar declines, Oppn considering Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Farooq Abdullah for Presidential polls

The parties adopted a resolution that their candidate for the polls would be someone 'who can truly serve as the custodian of the Constitution'

With NCP chief Sharad Pawar categorically declining the offer to be the common candidate in the July 18 Presidential polls, Opposition parties on Wednesday resolved to field a “common candidate” with leaders now deliberating on two names – Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson and former Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

Just hours before the Opposition meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached out to leaders across party lines, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, BSP, BJD, JD(U) and Samajwadi Party seeking their support and suggestion on a consensus Presidential candidate. Opposition parties said Singh did not give any name from the government side.

The 17 parties, which attended a meeting called by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said in a resolution adopted at the meeting that their choice of a common candidate for the Presidential polls in the 75th year of Independence will be one who “who can truly serve as the custodian of the Constitution and stop the Modi government from doing further damage to the Indian democracy and India's social fabric”.

Sources said that the Opposition, especially the Left, would like to project the electoral battle for the top post as one of “Gandhi versus Godse” in a year the country is celebrating its 75th year of independence.

The meeting, was attended by Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, NCP, DMK, RJD, CPI(M), CPI, RSP, Shiv Sena, CPI(ML), National Conference, PDP, JD(S), Muslim League, RLD and the JMM, was an attempt to put a show of unity but parties like AAP, Akali Dal, YSR Congress, BJD, TRS and Sikkim Democratic Front, who were invited, chose to skip it.

At the outset of the meeting, sources said, Mamata proposed the name of Pawar for the poll, which had the support of other parties, but the NCP supremo declined the offer, saying he wanted to remain in active politics till death. Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja as well as Mamata had broached the subject with Pawar on Tuesday also but he had refused to contest.

While no other leaders mentioned any possible candidates, sources said, Mamata during the course of the meeting made a mention of Abdullah and Gandhi as possible candidates. However, Abullah’s son and National Conference chief Omar Abdullah said there was no need to discuss names at this juncture.

Amid reservations among certain quarters of the Opposition, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge made it clear in the meeting that Congress “has no particular candidate in mind” and they will “sit together with all of you and arrive at a candidate acceptable to all”.

Sources said the meeting entrusted Pawar, Kharge and Mamata to take forward the process of consultation. With Mamata remaining busy, sources said, Pawar will lead the effort with Kharge and speak to party leaders to find their mind on the candidature of Gandhi and Abdullah as well as look for other names.

The next meeting, as reported by DH on Tuesday, will be attended by top leaders on June 20 or 21.

“In the forthcoming Presidential Election, which is being held in the year of the 75th anniversary of India's independence we have decided to field a common candidate who can truly serve as the custodian of the Constitution and stop the Modi government from doing further damage to the Indian democracy and India's social fabric,” the resolution adopted at the meeting said.