As the BJP continues to keep its rivals guessing on its nominee for the post of President, differences of opinion have started emerging from the Opposition camp.
While all other Opposition parties want to wait for the BJP’s candidate, the Left parties and the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad have said they should put up a candidate for “ideological” reasons. At a meeting of the core committee of 10 parties, representing the 17 Opposition parties, Lalu said the fight is ideological.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said at the meeting that the Left parties are for fielding a joint Opposition candidate. He reminded the leaders that the Left had put up freedom fighter Lakshmi Sahgal against APJ Andul Kalam — when all the other parties supported Kalam — in the 2002 Presidential elections. No names, however, were discussed at the meeting.
Opposition leader in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the 10-member Opposition panel will meet again to decide on a suitable presidential nominee.
Indications from the Opposition camp are that the BJP may field a candidate acceptable to both the DMK and the AIADMK so that the Opposition unity can be disrupted. If the DMK and the AIADMK support the BJP candidate, the BJP may not have to worry about even its own allies like the Shiv Sena.