New Delhi: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar has refused to be the opposition parties’ nominee for the presidential polls, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. A senior NCP leader had earlier said that Pawar is not keen on contesting the presidential election. This came even as some opposition parties have backed Pawar’s candidature for the race to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
This matter came up for discussion after Pawar met the NCP ministers in Maharashtra capital Mumbai earlier on Monday.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh met Pawar earlier on Sunday and affirmed his party’s support to him for the election for the next President of India, said an NCP minister, who attended the meeting.
Earlier last week, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge pitched for Pawar’s name as the opposition’s joint candidate for the presidential polls.
Kharge, who was in Mumbai in connection with the Rajya Sabha polls, said that his party had even consulted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over Pawar’s candidature.
“But, I don't think he is keen on it (contesting polls). Saheb (Pawar) is a people's man who loves meeting people. He will not restrict himself to the Rashtrapati Bhavan,” the NCP minister said, according to the news agency.
The minister from the NCP added Pawar is busy trying to bring the opposition together ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress has been reaching out to other opposition parties for a common candidate for the presidential polls.
The tenure of present President Ram Nath Kovind is ending on July 24.
The presidential poll will be scheduled on July 18 and its result will be declared on July 21.
A total of 4,809 electors comprising 776 MPs and 4,033 MLAs will be voting for the presidential election.
Voting for the presidential election will take place in Parliament and the premises of the state assemblies, while Rajya Sabha secretary-general will be the returning officer.
The members of the electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and elected members of the legislative assemblies of all states, including the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry, vote to elect the President.
The nominated members of either house or legislative assembly are not eligible to be included and, therefore, they are not entitled to take part in the election.
Likewise, the members of the legislative councils are also not electors.