Presidential Polls: Congress, CPI(M) To Attend Opposition Meeting Called By Mamata Banerjee Tomorrow

Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala are most likely to attend the meeting on behalf of the party, reported PTI citing sources. 

New Delhi: The Congress party is likely to attend the meeting of political parties — over deliberation of a joint opposition candidate for the post of President — called by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.

   

Senior leaders of the Congress party, Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala are most likely to attend the meeting on behalf of the party, the report stated citing sources. 

The CPI and CPI(M) will also attend the meeting along with the Congress party. MP Elamaram Kareem from CPI(M) and MP Binoy Viswan from CPI will be in the meeting tomorrow. 

The meeting which has been convened by Mamata Banerjee will take place on June 15 at the Constitution Club in the national capital for discussions to come out with a consensus Opposition candidate. 

Several opposition parties are likely to attend the meeting and take forward the discussion on the joint candidate.

With numbers on its side, the ruling NDA has half the votes of the electorate and its candidate can make it through easily with the support of some independent parties like the Biju Janata Dal, All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu-Congress Party. 

The presidential polls are scheduled to be held on July 18 and the votes will be counted on July 21. 

The polls will be held through secret ballot and the MPs and MLAs will have to mark their vote with a pen that would be provided by the Election Commission of India. Use of any other pen will render the vote invalid, Chief Election Commissioner had said.