West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is likely to skip the opposition meeting convened by NCP chief Sharad Pawar on June 21 to deliberate on a common candidate for the upcoming presidential poll.
According to a TMC functionary, Banerjee may give the meeting a miss due to some prior engagements. A TMC leader will represent the party at the meeting.
“Mamata Banerjee will not be able to attend the meeting as she has some prior engagements. She has also conveyed it to Sharad Pawar ji. But a leader from our party will be present there,” a senior TMC functionary said.
Earlier on June 15, as many as 17 opposition parties, including the Congress, DMK, NCP and the Samajwadi Party, attended the crucial meeting called by Banerjee to discuss a consensus candidate against the BJP-led NDA for the top post.
During the meeting, the opposition parties decided that a common candidate, who will “uphold the democratic ethos of the country”, will be chosen as the opposition nominee.
Leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, NCP, DMK, RJD and the Left parties attended the over two-hour-long meeting, while the AAP, SAD, AIMIM, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Odisha’s ruling BJD skipped it.
Leaders of Shiv Sena, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), National Conference, PDP, JD(S), RSP, IUML, RLD and the JMM were also present at the meeting.
During the meeting, the leaders of several opposition parties backed Pawar’s candidature for the presidential election. The NCP chief, however, declined the offer, and said he was happy to continue his service for the well-being of the common man.
After Pawar turned down the proposal, Banerjee suggested the names of National Conference president and MP Farooq Abdullah and former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, sources said.
The election for the country’s highest constitutional post will be held on July 18 and the counting for it will take place on July 21.
