Sonia, Rahul Thank Nitish For Supporting Gopalkrishna Gandhi

File image of Gopalkrishna Gandhi. 

(Photo Courtesy: Oxford University Press India/Facebook)

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• Gopalkrishna Gandhi has accepted to be the Opposition’s vice presidential candidate
• Opposition, headed by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, held a meeting today to discuss the nominee
  
• 18 Opposition parties, including NCP, RJD, Left, TMC, SP, BSP, DMK and others, were present at the meet
  
• Sonia, Rahul thank Nitish for supporting Gopalkrishna’s candidature
• BJP is likely to finalise its nominee by 13 July
  

Updated at:12th Jul, 2017 at 4:28 PM

Sonia, Rahul Dial Nitish After JD(U) Extends Support

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday phoned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to thank him for supporting Gopalkrishna Gandhi as the joint opposition candidate for vice presidency.

According to senior JD(U) leader K C Tyagi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi also called Kumar over phone to thank him for supporting the candidate.

JD(U) parliamentary leader Sharad Yadav represented the party at the meeting of opposition leaders that picked on the former West Bengal governor as its vice presidential nominee in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Updated at:12th Jul, 2017 at 4:30 PM

"Grateful to Opposition Parties"

Opposition’s vice-presidential candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Wednesday said he is “grateful” to the 18 Opposition parties who unanimously elected him for the post.

He said that he is not a politician, but a “citizen candidate” who is also worried about the future of India which is is marred by a “mini crisis”.

There is a mini crisis in India. Crisis of terror and fear. There is also an agrarian crisis....I have faith in institution of democracy and the people of India.

Updated at:12th Jul, 2017 at 1:48 PM

Gopalkrishna Gandhi Accepts Nomination

Accepting the nomination of being the Opposition’s vice presidential candidate, Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Sunday said: “I accept the nomination with all the seriousness that it calls for. I applaud the unity and conviction with which Opposition parties have asked me to be their candidate for vice president.”

Updated at:12th Jul, 2017 at 1:46 PM

Gopalkrishna Gandhi is Opposition's VP Candidate

Former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi has been unanimously named as the Opposition’s pick for the post of vice president.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, after concluding the meet, said:

Gopalkrishna Gandhi is our candidate.

Trinamool Congress’ Derek O’Brien and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury met Gandhi to discuss his nomination. He gave his consent after the party leaders assured him that he had the unanimous support of all 18 opposition parties.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated Gandhi on his nomination.

Updated at:11th Jul, 2017 at 1:03 PM

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Updated at:11th Jul, 2017 at 12:20 PM

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(Photo: ANI)

(Photo: ANI)

Updated at:11th Jul, 2017 at 11:31 AM

Opposition Leaders Arrive for Meet

Leaders from various opposition parties will soon meet for discussions on the vice presidential nominee.

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, NC’s Omar Abdullah, Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda and others were seen arriving at the Parliament complex.

Updated at:11th Jul, 2017 at 11:31 AM

Opposition parties will meet in New Delhi on Tuesday to decide on their strategy to put up a joint vice presidential candidate for the 5 August election and are likely to announce their pick as well. The ruling BJP is expected to finalise its nominee by 13 July.

According to PTI quoting sources, top Congress leaders held consultations with leaders of other non-NDA parties and discussed the joint strategy.

A total of 18 Opposition parties will meet on Tuesday at a meeting hosted by Congress President Sonia Gandhi at Parliament library at 11 am. The party’s vice chief Rahul Gandhi, besides a host of leaders from other parties like the NCP, RJD, Left, TMC, SP, BSP, DMK and other smaller parties, are also likely to attend.

JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will skip the meet, but his MPs Sharad Yadav and KC Tyagi will be present.

Also Read: How is the Vice President of India Elected?

Updated at:11th Jul, 2017 at 9:28 AM

"No Names Discussed Even Informally"

Non-Congress opposition parties are not averse to discussing the candidature of a contender from the grand old party for the 5 August vice presidential poll, sources told PTI.

With the presidential poll being a ‘Dalit versus Dalit contest’, the idea of fielding a candidate from the community may not be considered strongly, the sources said virtually ruling out the possibility.

The parties though continued to maintain today that no names were being discussed among them, “even informally” for the election, which is stacked heavily in the favour of the NDA, which has 550 of the total 790 Parliamentarians on its side.

Only members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha vote for the vice presidential election.

Vice President Hamid Ansari’s term, who has held the post for two successive spells, comes to an end on 10 August. Polling, if required, will take place on 5 August and the votes will be counted on the same evening.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS)

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Updated at:11th Jul, 2017 at 10:05 AM