Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to hold meeting over decision on Presidential poll candidates

As the presidential poll is slated for July 18, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has called a meeting of its legislators and MPs on Saturday, June 25, pertaining to the decision on extending support to Presidential election candidates. It is learned that party supremo Shibu Soren will chair the meeting. 

It is to be noted that the BJP-led NDA has named former Jharkhand governor Droupadi Murmu as its candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. It is to be noted that Murmu will be the first tribal woman to occupy the top constitutional post if she is elected. The NDA’s presidential nominee arrived in the national capital on Thursday and will be filing her nomination papers today.

While the Opposition has announced former union minister Yashwant Sinha as its joint candidate for the post. He will file his nomination on June 27, as informed by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. Yashwant Sinha, who has been the vice president of the Trinamool Congress, has served as India's finance minister (under Chandra Shekhar's and AB Vajpayee's Prime Ministership) and as foreign minister (under Vajpayee's Prime Ministership). In 2018, he quit the BJP and joined TMC.

Presidential elections

As the term of President Ram Nath Kovind is ending on July 24, an election to fill this impending vacancy will be held on July 18. The President will be elected by the Electoral College comprising elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies through a secret ballot. June 29 is the deadline for filing nominations for the presidential elections. The polling is scheduled to take place on July 18 and the counting of votes will be on July 21. As Ram Nath Kovind's term ends on July 24 and the next president should be elected before that day.

(Image: PTI)