New Delhi, June 16: A battle of attrition began Friday with major opposition parties making it clear to the government that a consensus on the President’s election will not be possible without the ruling side giving the name of its candidate, a demand that was termed as “inappropriate”.
The government formally began its outreach with the opposition on the presidential election with senior ministers Rajnath Singh and M. Venkaiah Naidu meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi, but placed no name of its nominee. Instead, the BJP team sought from the Congress leadership the name of the opposition candidate for the July 17 election.
The opposition leaders were told that the government and the BJP would like to finalise the candidate for the presidential poll before Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves on a three-nation trip June 24. “The BJP leaders did not give any name to Congress President Sonia Gandhi but they wanted us to reveal the name of our candidate. We were expecting them to disclose the name so that we can discuss it in our party and other opposition parties. Since no names were given from the government side and since no names are being given, there is no question of any discussion and cooperation,” Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was present at the meeting, told reporters later. “They should give us the name and then seek cooperation,” he said.
Questioned about the purpose of the meeting, Mallikarjun Kharge, who was also present said, “That was only to meet, and they are seeking cooperation. And what I can guess is just they are seeking cooperation because they have already got something in their mind. That’s why they have not given the name.”
Singh and Naidu are part of the three-member team constituted by Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah for discussion with political parties for the presidential polls. The two-member team later met CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat and Brinda Karat to seek the party’s support.
Yechury virtually echoed the views of the Congress leaders and expressed dismay over the government not suggesting a name. “We had expected that they would suggest some name which we could have seriously considered. Unfortunately, they did not come forward with any name,” Yechury said, terming it a “public relations exercise” by the government.
Indo-Asian News Service