Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, June 21: Yashwant Sinha, a former Union Minister, has been chosen as the joint Opposition candidate for the 2019 presidential elections. On June 27, at 11:30 a.m., Sinha will file his nomination papers.
TMC leader Sinha stated on Tuesday that it was time to put party politics aside and work for the greater good of the country. The decision came shortly after the TMC announced his candidacy for the top job as a joint Opposition candidate.
“I am grateful to Mamataji for the honour and prestige she bestowed on me in the TMC. Now a time has come when for a larger national cause, I must step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. I am sure she approves of the step,” tweeted Sinha.
Opposition leaders decided on Sinha’s nomination during a Parliament annexe meeting hosted by NCP chief Sharad. The Congress, NCP, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, Samajwadi Party, National Conference, AIMIM, RJD, and AIUDF were among the parties who attended the meeting.
“I would like to congratulate Yashwant Sinha on becoming the consensus candidate, supported by all progressive opposition parties. A man of great honour and acumen, who would surely uphold the values that represent our great nation,” said Mamata Banerjee.
I would like to congratulate Shri @YashwantSinha on becoming the consensus candidate, supported by all progressive opposition parties, for the upcoming Presidential Election.
A man of great honour and acumen, who would surely uphold the values that represent our great nation!
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 21, 2022
Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference (NC), and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi of the National Conference (NC) had previously declined overtures to be the unified Opposition presidential candidate.
Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, convened a gathering of 17 opposition parties on June 15 to reach an agreement on a united presidential candidate to challenge the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, with numbers on its side, the NDA is projected to win the presidential election for its nominee.
