New Delhi: At least 17 opposition groups will gather on Tuesday for what is expected to be a key round of discussions to choose their consensus candidate for the upcoming Presidential election next month.
With Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and J&K National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah withdrawing from the race last week, all eyes are now on Mahatma Gandhi's grandson and former diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi as the probable consensus candidate for the election.
The President election will take place on July 18, but the ballots will be tallied on July 21.
West Bengal President Minister Mamata Banerjee is unlikely to attend the opposition conference planned on June 21 by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, a TMC functionary said on Sunday, news agency PTI reported.
He stated that a top TMC leader will be present at the upcoming meeting.
"Mamata Banerjee will not be able to attend the meeting as she has some prior engagements. She has also conveyed it to Sharad Pawar ji. But a leader from our party will be present there," a senior TMC functionary was quoted by PTI in its report.
During Banerjee's first such meeting in Delhi on June 15 to plan a strategy for the next Presidential election, it was determined that the opposition nominee will be a common candidate who will "uphold the democratic character of the country."
The Congress, Samajwadi Party, NCP, DMK, RJD, and Left parties all attended the almost two-hour-long meeting summoned by the Trinamool Congress supremo, but the AAP, SAD, AIMIM, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, and Odisha's governing BJD did not attend the meeting.
Shiv Sena, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), National Conference, PDP, JD(S), RSP, IUML, RLD, and JMM leaders were among those present.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has also invited AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi to attend the meeting.
"NCP chief Sharad Pawar invited Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi for a meeting to discuss the upcoming presidential elections. Mr Owaisi thanked Mr Pawar for the kind invitation and has deputed Aurangabad MP Mr Imtiaz jaleel to represent AIMIM in the meeting," AIMIM said in a release, PTI reported.