Presidential elections are little more than a month away and it seems that the opposition has picked the candidate it would support. In the past week or so, leaders from Congress and other parties have been seen holding a series of meetings with former Union Minister Sharad Pawar. These meetings have led to the speculation that Pawar could emerge as the candidate for the opposition election in July.
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge met with Pawar last week in Mumbai. According to sources, Kharge had come with a message from party President Sonia Gandhi. It is also believed that Kharge held discussions with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and also Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Pawar has also been approached by Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. Party leader Sanjay Singh, apparently, talked to Pawar over the phone.
Sharad Pawar is considered one of the most senior-most politicians in India, who is known for his ability to build strategic alliances between parties. He is considered the driving force behind one of the most unlikely alliances ever seen. It is believed that he was the one who brought Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress together to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra.
Presidential Elections will be held on July 18, just as President Ramnath Kovind’s term ends on July 24. As such, BJP has tasked party president JP Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to reach out to allies as well as the Opposition party to zero in on a consensus candidate for said elections. The nomination dates for the presidential election are from June 15 to June 29.
Experts believe that it is going to be a cut-throat battle, as the opposition parties will probably stand united against the BJP.
