As President Pranab Mukherjee’s term ends on July 25, both NDA government and Opposition parties are holding discussion with their members, to finalise their candidates for the Presidential Election 2017. Regarding the same Congress President Sonia Gandhi had hosted a lunch meeting at her residence, where 17 opposition parties had come together to form unity against NDA government for Presidential Election 2017 as well as general elections due in 2019.
Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed on Thursday, in Guwahati said that, as per the tradition, ruling party along with the opposition party together elect consensus candidate for the post of president of India and Vice president. He further added that, opposition parties are discussing about their candidate for presidential election and are waiting for the ruling party to contact them because the government will have to take the initiative in this.
Shakeel also pointed out that if the opposition parties unit to form alliance and fight election, the chances of winning are more. To support his statement he gave the example of Bihar Lok Sabha polls in 2014, where Congress, RJD, JD (U) and BJP fought separately, resulting in BJP winning 33 seats out of 44. Whereas, in Bihar assembly polls in 2015 when congress, RJD and JD (U) fought jointly against BJP, opposition secured decisive mandate.
He also spoke about UP assembly polls 2017 saying that, results would have been different had Mayawati led BSP joined the congress-Samajwadi front.