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NEW DELHI: National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah has ‘respectfully withdrawn’ his name for consideration as joint opposition‘s presidential candidate, according to a statement issued on Saturday.
On June 15, the opposition parties had agreed to field a joint candidate for the upcoming Presidential elections that will be held on July 18. At least 17 parties had attended the opposition meeting convened by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, during which she had suggested the names of Farooq Abdullah or Gopalkrishna Gandhi as possible presidential candidate.
The Shiv Sena had recently warned that the people will start wondering how the Opposition will give a capable prime minister if it cannot field a strong candidate for the upcoming presidential polls, stressing that it needs to take the elections for the next president seriously.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the party said Mahatma Gandhi‘s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi and National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, the “regular names that crop up during the presidential polls”, don’t have the personality or heft to make it a tightly-contested battle.
The process of filing nominations for the presidential election began on June 15. Nominations can be submitted until June 29, and the papers will be scrutinised on June 30. The last day for withdrawal of candidature is July 2. The election will be held on July 18 and result will be declared on July 21.
The term of President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24.
(With inputs from agencies)
On June 15, the opposition parties had agreed to field a joint candidate for the upcoming Presidential elections that will be held on July 18. At least 17 parties had attended the opposition meeting convened by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, during which she had suggested the names of Farooq Abdullah or Gopalkrishna Gandhi as possible presidential candidate.
The Shiv Sena had recently warned that the people will start wondering how the Opposition will give a capable prime minister if it cannot field a strong candidate for the upcoming presidential polls, stressing that it needs to take the elections for the next president seriously.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the party said Mahatma Gandhi‘s grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi and National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, the “regular names that crop up during the presidential polls”, don’t have the personality or heft to make it a tightly-contested battle.
The process of filing nominations for the presidential election began on June 15. Nominations can be submitted until June 29, and the papers will be scrutinised on June 30. The last day for withdrawal of candidature is July 2. The election will be held on July 18 and result will be declared on July 21.
The term of President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24.
(With inputs from agencies)
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