The Left parties have set the ball rolling for a contest for the post of President, making it clear that they want an Opposition candidate to take on the BJP’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.
“There will be a united Opposition candidate of the Left and UPA. Contest is in the tradition of democracy,” CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told The Hindu .
CPI leader D. Raja said that the election being crucial to India’s future, the Left parties would talk to other Opposition parties to field a joint candidate against the NDA’s nominee.
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The responses of regional parties were mixed, however.
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‘Vote bank politics’
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While PTI quoted NDA-ally Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray as saying fielding a Dalit was “mere vote bank politics” and that his party would take a final decision on Tuesday, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik announced his support for Mr. Kovind.
BSP chief Mayawati nuanced her stand, saying that while she had reservations with Mr. Kovind’s RSS-BJP background, her party would not be able to take a negative stand against a Dalit unless the Opposition also fielded a more popular and deserving Dalit.
A Samajwadi Party insider told The Hindu that the party was likely to go along with the Opposition, and the fact that Mr. Kovind is a Dalit from Uttar Pradesh — he will be the first President born and brought up in the State — may not matter.
The NCP on its part said it would take part in the Opposition meet on June 22.
Indecisive Nitish
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar welcomed the announcement without expressly committing his support.
This is being seen as a sign that Mr. Kumar may want to support the present Bihar Governor.
V. Maitreyan of the AIADMK told The Hindu : “The government has just announced the candidate. He has been my Rajya Sabha colleague and is an affable and soft-spoken man. But as far as the candidature is concerned, the party will meet and take a call.”