New Delhi (TIP)- With the schedule for presidential polls out, hectic political activity has begun in both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition parties on the selection of their respective candidates to elect the 15th President of India. While the BJP-led NDA has thus far not revealed its cards, party president J.P. Nadda and defence minister Rajnath Singh are said to be consulting with other political parties for the Presidential election due on July 18. Various opposition parties have also started convening meetings to decide on a common candidate.

All eyes are now on who the two primary groups would nominate to be their presidential candidate, as till now there have only been two occasions when a President of India has won without a contest. The first occasion was when Dr Rajendra Prasad was sworn in as the first President of India in 1950, and the second was when Neelam Sanjiva Reddy won in 1977 after the nominations of all the 36 others were rejected.

This time around, the names of several prominent politicians and others in public life have already started doing the rounds as prospective candidates for both the NDA and the opposition.

‘Not in the race,’ say Sharad Pawar and Nitish Kumar

Two names had cropped up right in the beginning. One was that of Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Union minister Sharad Pawar. However, Pawar is learnt to have turned down the offer. Following a meeting with him, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said: “I have been informed that Pawar will not be the opposition face for the presidential poll, other names are under consideration.”

Likewise, the Janata Dal-United leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar also declared that he was not in the race. “I repeat I am not in the race to become the country’s next President,” he said, in response to a comment from Bihar rural development minister Shrawan Kumar that he was a worthy candidate for the post.     Source: The Wire