New Delhi: The joint Opposition meeting called by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to build consensus on fielding a candidate against the NDA in the upcoming presidential election began in Delhi on Wednesday. Leaders of at least 17 parties attended the meeting, that started at 3pm in the Constitution Club, news agency PTI reported.
According to the report, Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel of the NCP, Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala of the Congress, HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy of the JD(S), Akhilesh Yadav of the SP, Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference were among the prominent leaders who attended the meeting.
However, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) skipped the meeting, besides the Aam Aadmi Party, TRS and the BJD.
Notably, Mamata Banerjee had written to 22 Opposition leaders and chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states last week, requesting them to attend the meeting and deliberate on a joint candidate for the presidential post.
In the letter, Banerjee said that the presidential poll provides the perfect opportunity for all the progressive opposition parties to reconvene and discuss on the future course of Indian politics when "the divisive force" is plaguing it.
A day ahead of the meeting, Mamata Banerjee and the Left party leaders met NCP chief Sharad Pawar, at his residence separately, to try and convince him to be the common opposition candidate for the top constitutional post.
The presidential elections for the country will be held on July 18 and the counting for it will take place on July 21.