Mamata Banerjee Leaves for Delhi for Opposition Meet on Presidential Election; Cong Likely to Attend

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee left for New Delhi on Tuesday for a meeting of non-BJP parties she has convened to formulate a joint strategy for the upcoming presidential poll. Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, last week wrote to 22 opposition leaders and chief ministers requesting them to attend the meeting on June 15 at the Constitution Club in the national capital. The TMC leadership is hopeful about the success of the meeting.

"We are very much hopeful that the meeting will be a success. As far as we know, all the 22 leaders will be represented at the meeting," a senior TMC leader, who did not wish to be named, said. She is also likely to meet some of the opposition leaders.

"After the meeting, there are chances that she will meet a few opposition leaders. But nothing is finalized as of now," the TMC leader said. Banerjee wrote the letter to 22 leaders of non-BJP parties including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday. In the letter, she said the presidential election provides the perfect opportunity for all progressive opposition parties to reconvene and deliberate on the future course of Indian politics when "the divisive force" is plaguing it.

The presidential elections are conducted indirectly through an electoral college consisting of elected members of Parliament and legislative assemblies of states and Union territories. The number and value of votes of each voter from the state legislatures are worked out by a formula that takes into account the state's population in 1971.

Cong Likely to Attend

The Congress is likely to attend the meeting for deliberations over a joint opposition candidate for the post of President, sources said. They said Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala may attend the meeting on behalf of the party.

The election of the President of India will be held on July 18. With numbers on its side, the ruling NDA has half the votes of the electorate and its candidate can make it through easily with the support of some independent parties like the BJD, AIADMK, and YSR-CP.

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