JP Nadda to chair BJP Coordination Committee meet today to discuss presidential elections

After the announcement of the upcoming Presidential Election by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is scheduled to chair its first coordination committee meeting in the national capital on Sunday to hold detailed discussions on the upcoming presidential election.

The saffron party chief JP Nadda will chair the meeting wherein the preparations for the upcoming presidential election that are due on July 18 this year, will be discussed in detail. Notably, on behalf of the party, JP Nadda and Union Minister Defence Rajnath Singh have been given the responsibility to hold talks with all political parties to make a consensus on the candidate for the next President of India. 

With regards to this, Rajnath Singh spoke to a number of key opposition leaders including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to make a consensus for the presidential elections.

BJP forms co-ordination committee for Presidential elections

It is pertinent to mention that to coordinate with its state units and its allies, the BJP has already formed a coordination committee consisting of 14 members. The party has named Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as convenor of this committee whereas BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde and CT Ravi as the co-conveners.

The 14-member coordination committee of the saffron party also includes Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State (MoS) Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal and MoS Health Bharti Pawar, National general Secretary Tarun Chugh, National Vice President DK Aruna as well as National Secretary Rituraj Sinha. Notably, on the other hand, BJP women’s wing chief Vanathi Srinivas, Lok Sabha MP from Silchar Dr Rajdeep Roy and BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra are also part of this election management committee.

Opposition leaders convene meeting to decide on candidate for Presidential election

17 Opposition parties, on the call of Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, came under the same roof on June 15 in the national capital at the Constitution Club to discuss a probable candidate for the upcoming Presidential polls. After the meeting, the opposition announced in a press briefing that they will adopt a resolution to field a common candidate. They are looking for a candidate who can stop the BJP-led government at the Centre from doing any 'damage' to the social fabric of India and 'truly serve as the custodian' of the Indian Constitution. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's name was unanimously suggested by the participants at the meeting. However, he declined the offer. 

The Congress partook in the meeting along with 16 other political parties including TMC, NCP, CPI, CPI(M), CPIML, RSP, Shiv Sena, RJD, SP, and National Conference, PDP, JD(S), DMK, RLD, IUML and JMM. Notably, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and TRS's K Chandrasekhar Rao didn't attend or send their representative to the meeting.