New Delhi: The Opposition presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha will file his nomination on June 27, at 11:30 am Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday reported ANI. Former Minister of Finance and External Affairs was been chosen as the consensus candidate from the Joint Opposition for the upcoming Presidential elections which will take place on July 18. The late date for filing nominations for the Presidential election is June 29, the polling will take place on July 18 and the votes will be counted on July 21.
"We are going to file the nomination for the Presidential elections on 27th June at 11.30 am," said Pawar at the Opposition meeting according to ANI.
The veteran politician, who has ”stepped aside” from the Trinamool Congress and was earlier with the BJP will contest the presidential polls from the opposition squad.
Leaders of 13 non-BJP parties, who gathered in New Delhi for a meeting convened by NCP chief Sharad Pawar to decide on a consensus candidate for the presidential election, agreed on Sinha's name for the polls.
In his long and distinguished career in public life, Sinha has served the nation in various capacities as an able administrator, accomplished parliamentarian, and acclaimed Union Minister of Finance and External Affairs. He is eminently qualified to uphold the secular and democratic character of the Indian Republic and its Constitutional values, said the press release from the opposition parties, according to an ANI report.
While expressing his gratitude to the West Bengal CM and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Sinha said, now a time has come for a larger national cause to step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity.
I am grateful to Mamataji for the honour and prestige she bestowed on me in the TMC. Now a time has come when for a larger national cause I must step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. I am sure she approves of the step.
— Yashwant Sinha (@YashwantSinha) June 21, 2022
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee tweeted, "I would like to congratulate Shri Yashwant Sinha on becoming the consensus candidate, supported by all progressive opposition parties, for the upcoming Presidential Election. A man of great honour and acumen, who would surely uphold the values that represent our great nation!"
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee said that they are honoured that the unified opposition has nominated Yashwant Sinha.
"We are honoured that Yashwant Sinha has been nominated by the unified opposition, he was associated with TMC for a long time. We need to keep our differences aside. We have to find someone who will act as the custodian of the Indian Constitution," Abhishek Banerjee told ANI.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu is likely to her nomination on June 25, said ANI Tuesday.