New Delhi
Opposition parties will hold a meeting next week to deliberate on the name of the joint candidate for the Vice President’s election, scheduled on August 5.
Congress Sources said that party President Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting of all opposition parties on July 11 to deliberate on the name of the joint candidate to be put up by opposition to fight the nominee of the ruling NDA. Sources said that the meeting is likely to be attended by leaders of all opposition parties.
Those expected to attend the meeting, to be held in Parliament House, are Congress Vice-Preisdent Rahul Gandhi, CPI-M General secretary Sitaram Yechury, RJD chief lalu Prasad, Mr Sharad Pawar of the NCP, Mr Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Mr Satish Chandra Mishra of the BSP. Sources said that at the meeting, leaders of all opposition parties will be asked to suggest a name who could be the joint opposition nominee for the Vice President’s election.
Sources said it was felt that since the delay in the oppositon naming its candidate for the presidential election led to the JD-U coming out in support of the NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind, efforts by the opposition parties would be to announce their joint candidate before the NDA.
Sources said that the JD-U could also participate in next week’s meeting of the opposition parties. Sources also said that a name of a non-Congress leader could be chosen as the joint opposition nominee for the Vice President’s elections since the name of a Congress leader Meira Kumar was chosen as the joint opposition candidate for the President’s election.
NDA has till now not decided its candidate for the Vice President’s election. Polling for the election for the post of Vice President will be held on August 5. The term of Vice President Hamid Ansari ends on August 10.