The BJP has authorised party president JP Nadda and Union minister Rajnath Singh to consult with ruling NDA partners and opposition UPA constituents, besides other political parties on the upcoming presidential polls.
Nadda and Singh have been tasked with discussing with NDA constituents and UPA-aligned parties and independents on a consensus candidate for the presidential election.
This comes a day after West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee wrote to opposition leaders and chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states, requesting them to join a meeting in Delhi on June 15 to chalk out a joint strategy.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo reached out to the 22 leaders with an initiative of strong and effective opposition against “divisive forces”, the party said in a statement.
“Our hon’ble chairperson @MamataOfficial calls upon all progressive opposition forces to meet and deliberate on the future course of action keeping the Presidential elections in sight, at the Constitution Club, New Delhi on June 15 2022 at 3 PM,” the TMC said.
She wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Besides, Sonia Gandhi also reached out to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Banerjee and other opposition leaders for the polls.
In an official statement, the party said, “We need to rise above our differences for the sake of the nation. INC along with other political parties will be taking this discussion forward.”
The Election Commission announced on Thursday that poll for the President of India will be held on July 18, with 4,809 members of the electoral college comprising MPs and MLAs set to elect the successor to incumbent Ram Nath Kovind.
