Sharad Pawar's party has shot down speculation that he is in the running for the top post.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with Maharashtra leader Sharad Pawar in Delhi today in a flurry of meetings on the Presidential polls next month. The two leaders met a day before a big opposition meeting called by Mamata Banerjee to discuss a joint strategy for the July 18 election.
Sharad Pawar and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress party shared photos of the meeting on Twitter.
"Ms. Mamata Banerjee called upon me at my residence in Delhi today. We had a detailed discussion on various issues related to our country," he tweeted.
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress wrote: “Two stalwart leaders set the stage for the meeting of all progressive opposition forces; set to happen tomorrow at the Constitution Club, New Delhi. Our resolve to fight divisive forces grows stronger!”
Mamata Banerjee arrived in Delhi this afternoon for the opposition meeting but reportedly decided to take a detour to visit Sharad Pawar before going to her residence.
The Bengal Chief Minister has called some 22 parties for the meeting. The Congress has RSVP-ed; Mallikarjuna Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala will represent the party.
Mr Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has shot down speculation that he is in the running for the top post.
"I am not in the race, I will not be opposition candidate for the President's post," the former Union Minister reportedly said at an NCP meeting in Mumbai last evening.
The buzz started after the Congress indicated its support for Mr Pawar as presidential candidate. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge met with the NCP leader at his Mumbai home last week, with a message from Sonia Gandhi.
But the NCP said its leader does not want to fight a losing battle.
"No doubt, if Pawar saheb becomes President of India, every Marathi person's chest will swell with pride," said Chhagan Bhujbal, senior NCP leader. "But the question is this: Do we have the required numbers?"
Mr Bhujbal asserted that Mr Pawar would not like to "sit at one place" by becoming President or Governor. "He does not like protocol much. He likes meeting people in the villages, sitting with farmers in their fields," he said.
Mr Pawar, however, continues to play a leading role in the opposition consultations on the next President.
Soon after reaching Delhi, he met Left leaders Sitaram Yechury (CPM) and D Raja (CPI). Mr Raja reinforced the NCP claim that Mr Pawar is reluctant to contest. "Our understanding is that he is not keen. He said he has many political commitments," said the Left leader.
President Ram Nath Kovind's term ends on July 24.
The ruling coalition led by BJP does not have the numbers for a sure-shot victory.
The presidential polls are based on an electoral college comprising votes of MLAs and MPs. The vote value of each MLA depends on the population of the state and the number of assembly seats. The strength of the electoral college is 10,86,431. A candidate with more than 50 per cent votes wins.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is 13,000 votes short.
In 2017 too, the NDA did not have the required numbers, but it got support from Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), YSR Congress and Biju Janata Dal for Mr Kovind against Congress-led opposition's candidate Meira Kumar.
This time, Telangana Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao of the TRS is part of the efforts to gather opposition forces against BJP.