Opposition unity falters even before key Presidential polls meeting? AAP, TRS, BJD to skip

Ahead of the Presidential elections, the Opposition's bid for unity appears to be in tatters even before kick-off, with many parties and leaders deciding to skip the crucial meeting called by Mamata Banerjee in Delhi today. The Trinamool Congress supremo is to convene a 'non-BJP' CMs and party leaders' meeting at the Constitution Club to deliberate on the choice of a common Presidential nominee.

However, reports and inputs state that several Opposition parties including the AAP, BJD, and TRS have decided to skip the mega meeting. According to sources, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party will only consider the issue after the candidate for the Presidential poll is declared. 

Meanwhile, Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrashekar Rao has also decided to pull out of Mamata Banerjee's meeting, taking exception to Congress' attendance. Notably, KCR has plans to enter national politics and launch a National Party named "Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi". In recent days, the TRS was scouting for a role in the next Presidential polls and had also met political strategist Prashant Kishor in this regard.

Sources also informed Republic that Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (Odisha) has also decided to skip the Opposition meeting called by Banerjee. On the other hand, no invitation was sent to the YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh. The party's chief Jagan Mohan Reddy has already pledged support to the BJP in the June 18 elections, as per sources. 

Struggle to find candidate for Presidential polls

On the issue of the Opposition's candidate, the TMC and Congress have already declared that their parties will not field a nominee for the Presidential elections. There was a consensus between some Opposition parties on the name of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar as the Opposition candidate, but the veteran leader has already declined to contest. Earlier, JDU supremo Nitish Kumar also dismissed speculations that he was in the Presidential poll race. 

Sources suggest that some leaders had suggested senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's name for the upcoming elections, but the same was vetoed by Left parties. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called a meeting of various opposition parties to formulate a strategy and deliberate on the Opposition's face for Presidential elections. However, with many key regional parties declining the invitation, the quest for unity and the task of mustering the required numbers to push any candidate to victory appears to have hit a stumbling block.

Voting to elect a successor to incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind would be held on July 18. Kovind had defeated joint Opposition nominee Meira Kumar in the previous Presidential poll.